


Ab Imo Corde Meo

by Asellas



Series: Saecula Saeculorum [1]
Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: Air will end you, Anal Sex, Angst, Blood and Violence, Blow Jobs, Emotions are hard™, Featuring Papa III's stupid mindgames, Ghouls are not human, Gore, Headcannons Galore, Jello, Libraries are not proper places to fuck in, Love, M/M, Mistral makes waffles, Mystical bullshit, Pining, Porn With Plot, Quinn is an asshole, Rain is an idiot sometimes, Rimming, Sister Imperator knits, Unbeta'ed, Violent Sex, but he's a lovable idiot, domestic ghouls?, general silliness, giving a helping hand, migraines suck, slight dub-con
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-06-20 23:49:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 64,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15544962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asellas/pseuds/Asellas
Summary: When you're a young ghoul, freshly summoned from the depths of Hell to serve his Infernal Majesty, you do anything you can to stay topside.Cuz, like, they got wifi up here. And it'sfree.(A small collection of era III Water and era IV Fire-centric stories)





	1. Ingress

**Author's Note:**

> This began as a very small, very simple bit of Water/Aether smut. However, the plot bunnies (or, rather, plot-rats? Heh) have been bite-y lately and it has managed to get a... bit... away from me.  
> Rating is going to skyrocket next chapter, just a heads up.
> 
> Comments and kudos are much loved and appreciated!

He wasn’t sure what to think, being summoned by Papa so suddenly. The ghoul who had been sent to fetch him manages to stay a few steps ahead of him, his back straight and radiating an obnoxious sense of smugness, sends a thread of unease worming to his stomach. The ghoul- Special, the name finally coming to him- stops before a set of large, carved wooden doors. Special gives him one last smirk before pushing one of the heavy doors open and ushering him inside, pulling the door shut soon as he’s over the threshold. The quiet thud of the heavy wood sliding back into its resting place makes the unease that’s settled in the pit of his stomach writhe, though he silently congratulates himself on not jumping at the noise.

The room is large and furnished lavishly. Furniture of carved wood, dark with age and sleek with polish, is laid out to seem inviting, though he has a feeling it rarely sees use. Portraits of past Dark Popes and other important clergy lined the walls in ornately carved, gilded frames. He comes to a stop before the desk, an overly large thing of the same dark wood as the other furniture, though for once this item does look to have seen use. The chair behind it, high-backed and upholstered in a rich dark brown leather, is faced away from him. He waits for a few moments quietly, hands clasped at the small of his back, anxiously awaiting notice from Papa.

Moments turn to a minute, turn to two, and no longer can he stand by patiently. He coughs quietly and nearly jumps out of his skin when the chair turns around sharply to unveil Papa Emeritus III, clad in his favored black suit. Papa holds up a finger, speaking no words or even lifting his eyes to otherwise acknowledge him.

He’s not sure what is most startling: seeing the Dark Pope himself whirling about on a swivel chair or watching him swipe furiously at a smartphone displaying something that looked suspiciously like Candy Crush.

He nearly turns on his heel and marches out, repercussions be damned, at the absurdity of it all.

He is saved from such a decision as Papa makes a face and petulantly tosses the phone to the desk, mismatched eyes finally snapping up to capture his own.

“Ah, yes, you were the one Special spoke to me of,” Papa says, voice like liquid honey. He could not form a proper answer under the scrutiny of that gaze, instead merely nodding in response.

“You play guitar, yes?” He nods again.

“And bass?” Another nod.

“Good, good. As it is, I am in need of a water ghoul. One that does not require too much work, as time is a bit, ah, _limited_.”

“Um, father, I’m not a-“ he begins, but Papa cuts him off with motion of his hand.

“That does not matter, as long as you can play. And you will play, won’t you, _Water_?” Papa affixes his gaze to his eyes again.

“Yes, Papa.” Water shrinks away from the piercing gaze, any objections dying on his lips.

“Good. Now,” Papa scoops the phone and taps at the screen with one hand, while waving the ghoul away with the other, “Go speak to Special, he’ll get everything situated. There is much work to be done. Oh, and one more thing.”

Water almost sighs and rolls his eyes, barely managing to stay respectful.

“Make it convincing, hm? Think of it as a, ah, test, if you will.”

And with that he was dismissed, Papa now engrossed in another round of Candy Crush.

\--

Time went by quickly, days going by in a blur of rehearsals, costume fitting, and snatched scant hours of sleep. It was lucky, Water thinks, with how well the newly assembled ghouls meshed together in such short amount of time. They all seemed like typical ghouls of their elements: Fire was loud and temperamental, Earth shy and timid, Air aloof and haughty. And Aether…

Aether was a mother hen, always making sure the ghouls had what they needed, that they were eating and sleeping enough, a smile and pat on the back at the ready to sooth frustrations or congratulate when they got a tricky part right. It confused and intrigued Water in equal measures, and soon he found himself watching Aether closely. He’d brighten when Aether would enter the room, track his movements as they practiced. Soon he was craving the large ghoul’s compliments and touches, working even harder and going beyond just to have that warm, large hand touching him.

The night before they left for the beginning of the tour Water laid awake on his bed, the realization that he’d fallen hard for the quintessence ghoul filling his stomach with butterflies.

\--

Water decides to wait till after the first ritual to make his move.

He wasn’t the only ghoul to be anxious, the prospect of being in front of so many humans and keep their composure was nerve wracking. He had stood with Earth backstage and peered out at the crowd, gawking at the size of it and shrinking back from the collective energy it gave off. The two small ghouls had exchanged worried looks before being summoned by Papa. Water can’t remember the pep talk he’d given them, focusing instead on clearing his head and shaking the tension from his arms.

Papa had the crowd eating out of his hand by the end of the ritual. He’d been pleased enough with their performance that he declared the ghouls could go out to enjoy the town as a celebration, with only a halfhearted lecture to be back at the tour bus at a decent time. The five ghouls quickly change into street clothes as they debate where to go, eventually settling for a club that Fire had found near the venue.

The place is crowded, but not overly so. A quick bit wiggling fingers and magic from Air and the they’re able to bypass the line and the bouncer without a fuss. Water had never been allowed outside of the church grounds more than a handful of times before and had never had a chance to visit a club. He finds it an interesting, if a bit claustrophobic, experience. The energy here is different than that of the crowd at the venue, much more relaxed and flowing. He weaves through the crowd to the bar, eager to try some drinks that weren’t the church-approved wine they were allowed back home.

Three drinks that tasted mostly of fruit later Water thinks he has enough liquid courage pooling warm in his gut. He’s not drunk yet he thinks, though he’s definitely well past tipsy. He spies Aether across the club, lounging against a wall seemingly content to watch Earth try and get Air to dance with him. He tosses back the dregs of his last drink, something purple and tasting like the candy Earth liked, abandoning the glass on a table before slipping into the crowd. Anxiety begins to form knots in his stomach but he shrugs it away as he joins Aether in watching their two brothers.

“Enjoying yourself,” he asks, leaning in close so the bigger ghoul can hear him. Aether tilts his head towards Water instinctively, close enough that Water can smell the faint tang of sweat under his cologne. Water inhales, the scent heady and intoxicating, pulse jumping faster as he imagines thin fingers working at the buttons of Aether’s dress shirt to reveal the skin underneath.

“Sure. You?” Aether glances over, and it’s everything Water can do to keep himself from pulling Aether down by his lapels and devouring his mouth. He licks his lips and stretches, rolling his shoulders and tilting his head to display the long column of his pale neck.

“Could be better,” he replies, throwing a sidelong glance at the other ghoul. Water finally has Aether’s full attention as he turns to give the small ghoul a confused look, eyes doing a quick scan down then back up the lithe figure.

“Ah, not used to being around so many humans are you? I admit they don’t let us out among them often, and they can be a bit… overwhelming.”

“No,” Water snorts, wondering how blunt he was going to have to be. “Wanna go back to the bus with me?”

“Back, already? Are you alright,” Aether asks, voice laden with concern. Water bites back a groan and leans in close again, lips brushing the shell of Aether’s ear.

“I’m horny and want to fuck, do you want to,” he asks, nipping at one of the rings pierced through Aether’s ear. Aether jerks back, eyes wide and mouth gaping in astonishment. Water tilts his head, cocking an eyebrow in a wordless question: well, do you?

“Water,” Aether says, slowly, once the moment of surprise wears off, “You’re drunk.”

“M’not,” Water denies, but Aether shakes his head slowly.

“You are. So no, I’m not going to… go back with you,” the bigger ghoul sighs. Water’s mind takes a few moments to process the rejection, but once it does it stings like a slap to the face. The blood rushes to his cheeks, already pink from alcohol now burning crimson in embarrassment.

“Fine. Sure.” Water nearly trips over his own feet as he turns to leave, not wanting to see the look of pity painted across Aether’s face. He’s able to recover and make the move resemble something graceful, he thinks, and heads back towards the bar. If Aether thought he was already drunk, he might as well actually be before sulking back to the tour bus.

\--

“How’re you feeling?”

Aether leans against the seat and Water bites his tongue, willing the nausea and throbbing headache to go away. He’d abandoned his bunk for the back lounge, the small space feeling claustrophobic to his hungover mind.

“Fine,” he bites out, glaring at his phone and to keep from glancing up at the other ghoul. His mind replays the scene from the previous evening over and over and the embarrassment makes his head feel like it’s splitting open. Thankfully Aether doesn’t seem to catch on to Water’s internal problems and sets a steaming cup of ramen noodles and a fork on the table next to him.

“It helps, trust me,” Aether explains when Water looks at the food in askance. He gives the smaller ghoul a gentle pat before wandering back to the front of the bus. Water waits till he’s gone, the divider curtain pulled closed behind him before picking up cup and sipping at the broth. When he reaches down for the fork he spies a couple of painkillers that Aether must have palmed onto the table without him noticing, the kind gesture tugging faintly at his heartstrings. He smiles and swallows the pills dry before eating the noodles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dialog is hard.
> 
> Initially I just typed this for myself as an outlet while dealing with some things, and now I've got 15k words written with more being added every day. I eventually decided well fuck, why not share it? Maybe someone else will enjoy it as well? Or not, who knows?
> 
> I'm quite fascinated with all the different takes so many people have on the Ghost lore, especially Catacombsaint's Lincopiaverse. Eventually my poor little burned-out husk of a brain attempted to cobble it's own lore and well here we are.  
> Forgive my rambling, I have the attention span of a coked out squirrel.


	2. Kindle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A water ghoul's guide on how to get cockblocked by a cellphone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty guys, it's porn time!
> 
> A small clarification: the band ghouls have special privileges concerning their masks. Unlike the regular ghouls in the church, they only have to wear them when dressed for the stage. When they are rarely allowed to venture out before/after shows they are not required to wear them in order to not draw unwanted attention.  
> *slaps band-aid on fic* that should do it for now...
> 
> And as always, thank you so much for comments and kudos, they really brighten my day!

They were earlier than they expected to the venue and everyone took the chance to sightsee before grabbing food. Water had waved the other ghouls off and promised to catch up with them later. He had to figure this whole thing about Aether out, one way or another, and was determined to think of something he could do. With everyone, even the driver, off the bus, he could finally concentrate on the swirling mass of emotions fogging up his head.

He’s sitting on the floor of the lounge, back pressed to one of the couches and knees to his chest, when he hears the door open. Thinking it’s just the driver come back he doesn’t move, resting his chin on his knees with his arms and tail wrapped around him, not noticing Aether till the bigger ghoul trips over him.

“Shit! The hell…” Aether growls, dropping his phone as he tumbles to the floor.

“Gah,” squeaks Water.

“What… Water? What the hell are you doing down here?”

“I was thinking,” Water mumbles as he rubs at his legs, hoping there weren’t going to be any bruises. Aether gives him confused look, mouth open to speak but interrupted by his phone buzzing. He scoops it off the floor and settles onto the couch across from Water, still for a moment as he reads then fingers tapping away at a text message.

“Hey, Aether,” Water blurts out after a few moments, stomach twisting into knots as the words come rushing out. “What… what do you do if… if there’s someone you like but you don’t know if they like you back?”

Aether looks up from his phone, the question unexpected and catching him off guard.

“Uhm, what? I’m not sure I’m following you.” Aether tilts his head, giving the small ghoul another confused look. The phone buzzes in his hand, though he ignores it this time.

“How… how do you tell someone you like them? As in more than a friend like?”

“Well,” Aether replies slowly, thinking carefully before speaking, “I guess, if it were me, I’d just go out and tell them.”

They lapse into a heavy silence, Aether tapping at his phone and looking worried, Water curled up as small as he could make himself on the floor.

“Hey, Aether,” Water asks again, looking up at the other ghoul and hoping Aether doesn’t notice how he’s trembling slightly.

“Yeah?” Aether doesn’t look up from his phone and Water bites his lip.

“I… I like you.” Water holds his breath, tightening his arms and tail around himself to stop the quaking.

“That’s nice,” Aether replies automatically, then stills and snaps his eyes onto Water once what his brain parses out what Water had said. “Wait, what?”

Water almost shrinks away, but manages to mumble “I like you,” to his knees. The bus falls into awkward silence and Water thinks to himself, _why is this so fucking hard?_ He glances up to see Aether staring at him in a mixture of surprise and confusion, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. After a moment Aether shakes himself, scrubbing a hand over his face and through his hair.

“I, um… shit. I’m sorry Water, I… I can’t,” Aether stammers, looking away. His phone begins buzzing again and Aether curses quietly. “I gotta take this, I’m sorry…”

“It’s fine, I understand,” Water says, and he’s surprised at how even and calm he sounds. He climbs to his feet and waves as he leaves the bus, picking a pace quick enough to get him away but slow enough that he doesn’t look like he’s fleeing. He wanders around aimlessly till he finds himself in a small park, flopping onto an empty bench along the sidewalk. He expected the rejection to hurt, just like the last time in the bar. He’d even steeled himself for it, but the clenching of his heart had never come. Instead he felt… empty.

“Boo,” a voice whispers in his ear and he jumps, falling off the park bench with an undignified squeak. Fire chuckles, leaning over the back of the bench and grinning at the bassist. Water sighs and regains his seat, rubbing at his temples.

 “Question,” Fire asks, resting his chin on laced fingers. “What’s with the masquerade?”

Water goes completely still, then snorts. “I don’t know what you’re talking abou-“

“You’re not a water ghoul,” Fire murmurs close to Water’s ear. “Don’t get me wrong, you’ve done a great job acting like one, but I know another fire ghoul when I see them.”

“It’s Papa’s idea. A test, he called it,” Water admits quietly after a few moments of silence. “I guess he thinks it’s funny, or something. I don’t know.”

“Ah, he’s got you in the hot seat, then.” Fire pats Water on the back reassuringly. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell the others.”

“Thanks,” Water mumbles, partially relieved that he won’t have to explain to Papa why his little joke had ended. On the other hand, he was tired of the deception. The two ghouls lapse into companionable silence, Fire’s foot jiggling along to a song he hums to himself.

“So,” the guitarist begins, breaking the silence. “Guess it didn’t go well, huh?”

“What?” Water leans back to give Fire a confused look.

“You and Aether.” Fire holds his hands up and quickly adds on as Water begins to bristle at the mention of the quintessence ghoul, “You’ve not exactly been subtle. I mean, you stare at him when you think no one is looking, and half the time when he speaks to you or touches you the tips of your ears go red.”

“They do not!” Water protests.

“Yeah they do, and they are now,” Fire teases, flicking one of the pointed ears gently. Water growls deep in his throat, low and threatening. Fire just grins, hopping over the back of the bench to settle next to Water. His playful manner drops as he turns to study the small ghoul with a stoic expression.

“I won’t pry, but be careful, alright? You don’t want to get fixated,” Fire warns quietly.

Water flinches, biting at his lower lip. The clergy had held a meeting for the newer ghouls about this a few weeks after his summoning. For whatever reason none had yet to figure out, there was a small chance a ghoul could develop an extreme sexual obsession for another ghoul. Age nor preestablished mating bonds did not shield one from fixation and its origins were yet unknown. It was dealt with quickly if possible, typically a few bouts of rough, penetrative sex cleared it away. But it was a quiet illness, not always able to be discovered till it was too late. If left unchecked for too long, the fixation etched itself deep into their psyche, unable to be assuaged and leaving them in agony. Those very few so afflicted were sent back to Hell and were not seen again.  

“I won’t,” Water promises meekly.

“Good.” Fire nods, then grins at Water seductively. “And hey, if you need to like, blow off some steam or something I don’t mind giving a hand. Or a mouth.”

“Oh.” Water is taken aback by the offer, cheeks blushing scarlet. Fire was very handsome and with a reputation of being a playboy. Water had always thought to be well outside of Fire’s league and as such had never even thought of doing anything with the guitarist. “Th-thanks. I, um… yeah, that, that sounds good.”

“Cool. Lets go grab some food, I hate playing a ritual on an empty stomach.” Fire hops to his feet, beckoning Water to follow.

\--

Water was relieved when the ritual ended. Between the stifling heat outside, pyrotechnics, stage lights, and all the movement he was soaked in sweat. Being a fire ghoul helped some, but still he was a sodden mess just like the others by the end of the set. _Fuck humidity,_ he growls to himself.

He’s headed back to change into something clean and dry when Fire loops an arm over his shoulders and pulls him into a nearby dressing room.

“Huh,” Water squeaks as Fire crowds him up against a wall, pulling their masks off to press a bruising kiss to Water’s lips. A shiver runs down Water’s spine and he arcs upwards, moaning as Fire’s tongue tangles with his own.

“The door’s open,” Water gasps as he pulls back, pulse thundering in his ears as he pants for air.

“That’s part of the fun,” Fire rumbles, leaning in to trace his forked tongue along the shell of Water’s ear. He nips the soft lobe before kissing the smaller ghoul again, hands working on the fastenings of his stage clothes. He growls in impatience as his claws fumble with the buttons, wanting to just rip the cloth apart if it wouldn’t get his hide tanned by the Clergy. Water’s smaller hands bat his own away, nimble fingers undoing the buttons on his cassock and fascia so Fire could push the fabric over thin shoulders. He presses his face to the junction of Water’s neck and shoulder, nipping at the soft flesh and inhaling the scent of sweat, musk, and the faint underlaying spice common to fire ghouls. He runs his hands over sharp collar bones and down pectorals.

“Oh, look at you,” Fire whispers huskily as he steps back, fingers running along the rings pierced through Water’s nipples. He traces the areola then drags the callused pad of his thumbs over the sensitive nub, gentle at first then adding pressure with each pass. Water squirms and moans, tail thumping against the wall as the stimulation sends jolts of pleasure to his groin. Fire tugs sharply on the rings, eliciting a yelp from the bassist, before dropping hands lower to work on the button and zip on his pants.

“Gonna blow you.” Fire bites down, sharp but quick, on Water’s bottom lip, tongue lapping at the blood that wells in the puncture marks his canines left.

“Fuck, yes,” Water groans, hips bucking as a hand works its way into his underwear. Fire kisses him hard, tongue thrusting back into his mouth as he works Water’s pants and underwear down over slim hips till his cock springs free, already hard and weeping. He gives one last nip to the bassist’s lips before pulling away and sinking gracefully to his knees, leaning forward to take the head of Water’s cock into his mouth, tongue lathing at the slit.

“Fuck,” Water groans again, eyes fluttering shut and letting his head fall back against the wall. The wet heat of Fire’s mouth is perfection, the way the forks of his tongue dance along the veins the most sinful thing in his recent memory. He’s almost oversensitive; it’s been so long since his cock has seen attention from something that wasn’t his own hand.

Fire rumbles deep in his throat, a miniscule warning before plunging forward, taking Water’s cock into his throat till his nose is buried in the curly mass of hair at the base. Water slaps a hand over his mouth, biting into the flesh of his hand to stifle the wanton cries that bubble up. His other hand cups Fire’s head, fingers lacing through the tousled locks to grip tightly. As Fire backs away Water growls and uses the hold on his hair to pull him forward, hips bucking to thrust his cock deeper down Fire’s throat. Fire gags, Water backing off only to repeat the motion, picking up a rhythm and all Fire can do is dig nails into Water’s ass to hang on.

It’s then, tears leaking from the corner of his eyes, saliva and precome dripping down his chin, that Fire catches movement from the periphery of his vision: Aether stands in the open doorway, mouth agape at the sight before him. The possessive part of his soul bristles; Aether had missed his chance with the little ghoul and Fire wanted to rub it in. He sucks hard on the head of Water’s cock as he’s pulled back, lets the barest hint of his teeth scrape down the shaft as he’s yanked forward. He slides the fingers of his right hand up the plush curve of Water’s buttocks, dipping into the sweat-slick crack to rub against his puckered hole. Water keens, high and sharp, hips bucking and the hot, salty-bitter taste of his cum splatters across Fire’s palate. The suddenness of his orgasm has Water curling over Fire’s kneeling form, both hands now gripping the guitarist’s hair as he pants, riding out the aftershocks.

Fire swallows, tongue working to milk every last drop of cum from Water’s dick. He hums in contentment as Water shudders and falls back, softening cock slipping from his lips as knees give out. A quick glance back at the doorway confirms that Aether was gone, leaving the two ghouls alone once again. Sitting back on his haunches Fire wipes at the mess on his chin with the back of his hand, tongue darting over bruised lips.

“I’d say you enjoyed that,” fire murmurs, smug grin plastered to his face.

“Ngh,” replies Water, too busy gathering his shattered composure to articulate a proper response. Fire wishes they were staying at a hotel that night, eager to have the little ghoul writhing in ecstasy as he fucks him. He rises to his feet and holds a hand out to Water.

“Come on, let’s get back to the bus. No doubt Papa will want us to make an appearance for the fans.”

Water groans in quiet protest as he accepts Fire’s hand, letting the guitarist pull him to his feet. He tucks himself back into his pants and works slowly at refastening his fascia and cassock, nodding thanks as he takes his mask from Fire’s outstretched hand. He wanted nothing more than to crawl into his bunk and fall asleep but knew that Papa would not let him avoid this part of his duties.

“Lead the way then,” Water sighs, following Fire out of the dressing room.

\--

“Water.”

“Fuck,” he barks, flinching back from the warm breath in his ear. It takes a moment to gently untangle his claws from his cassock, the sharp points nearly slicing a button off. He shoots a glare over his shoulder, biting his tongue to keep from saying some choice words to Papa’s smirking face.

“I just wanted to say,” the dark pope begins, reaching out to brush a bit of dust from Water’s shoulder, “You have been playing very well recently. Much less, hmm, _tension_.”

Water narrows his eyes in suspicion, but Papa says nothing further, merely gives him an enigmatic grin.

“Thank you, Papa,” Water mumbles, finished buttoning his cassock and wrapping his fascia around his waist.

“And, you’ve done well keeping our little, ah, _secret_ , as well. See you on stage, _Water_.” Papa pats him on the back before retreating from the dressing room, no doubt going to his own to don his clerical robes. Water sneers and rolls his eyes; stupid Papa and his stupid games. He rifles through his things to find a small bag of picks, stowing a few extras in his pockets. He might just have the urge to throw one at Papa at the end of the ritual, who knows…

“Hey,” a voice sounds in his ear again.

“Jesus _fuck,_ ” Water snarls, jerking away and dropping his bag, picks scattering all over the floor.

“Ah, sorry about that,” Fire apologizes, kneeling to help gather the dropped picks. “Didn’t think you were so skittish.”

“It’s fine,” Water grumps, holding the bag open for Fire to dump the collected picks into. He zips it closed and throws it in with his street clothes. “Papa just… has me on edge, I guess.”

“Yeah, I did see him in the hallway. What’d he want?”

“To be an annoying prick, what else,” Water mumbles, flicking his tail in agitation. Fire observes him for a moment before leaning close, using the tips of his claws to tilt Water’s head back. He pulls their masks up just enough to press an open-mouthed kiss to Water’s lips, running his tongue along the bottom lip. He can still feel the little divots his fangs had made earlier in the week in the soft flesh, sending a quiet thrill down his spine.

“So hey, I made a deal with a guy at that place across the street, he’ll let me use one of the rooms for a few hours after the ritual. We’ll have an actual bed and a shower, whaddaya think,” he purrs against Water’s lips.

“Sounds nice,” Water replies, his tail snaking around to slap the spaded end against Fire’s ass. He’s not sure which part he’s more excited for: the promise of sex, the bed, or the shower.

“Meet me there after the ritual then. And, hey,” Fire adds, mouth quirked into a sultry grin, “get yourself all ready for me.”

\--

“Why did I agree to this,” Water mumbles, leaning his naked body against the cool porcelain of the sink.

_“Gonna fuck you so good later,” Fire rumbles in his ear as they’re heading on stage, low enough the other ghouls don’t hear._

Oh right, that’s why. Water makes a strangled sound in the back of his throat, avoiding seeing how red his face is in the mirror. His insides feel all wriggly, the mix of tension, anticipation, and arousal a potent cocktail in his blood. He takes a deep breath before reaching for the bottle of lube he’d set on the edge of the sink, popping the cap and warming the slick in his hand before shifting to find a decent position.

“Stupid Fire and his stupid fucking mouth,” Water groans as he presses two fingers inside himself. “One blowjob and I’ve become a fucking slut for his cock.” He scissors the fingers apart, spreading himself open and thrusting his fingers deep as he can reach. The angle is awkward, not allowing for much depth, leaving him to instead work just the first one or two inches, stretching the tight muscle and pushing the lube in. After a minute his pulse is picking up and cock starting to harden and he decides it’s enough, not wanting to have to hide an erection all the way to the hotel. He washes his hands and pulls on his street clothes, tucking the lube back into his bag in case he needs it again later. He checks the mirror to make sure his horns, pointed ears, and tail are hidden safely away under glamor.

The journey through the venue and over to the hotel across the street was nerve wracking. Lube had begun to leak from his ass and drip down his thighs as he walked, the feeling of his skin slipping against itself weird and not exactly comfortable. He dodged past cases of equipment and crew members, finally able to break out into a run once out of the building. Inside of the hotel he checks his phone again for the room number Fire had sent him, smashing the floor button in the elevator with a little more force than necessary. A nervous energy vibrated through him making him fidget, though the motion made the slippery mess in his underwear even worse.

“Never. Again,” he hisses to himself as he stomps down the hallway, wanting to drop the glamor and let his tail thrash. He knocks on the door and it opens nearly immediately; Fire must have been waiting for him. Fire is clad only in his stage pants, showing off tanned skin and toned muscles. Normally Water would take a moment to drink in the sight, because _fuck_ _he’s hot_ , but instead he shoulders into the hotel room, tossing his bag against the nearest wall, and if he doesn’t get out of his clothes _right this fucking minute_ his mind was going to vibrate out of his skull.

“Antsy,” Fire purrs, watching Water toe off his shoes while pulling his shirt over his head. Piece after piece of clothing gets tossed in the general direction of his bag till he’s left to stand in the center of the small room, nude without an ounce of shame. Fire steps close to run the back of a claw down Water’s spine, stopping to rub at the base of his tail. The appendage curls up to loop around his wrist, a sound of pleasure coming from Water’s throat at the attention. With the tail moved aside Fire can see the light glint off the slicked skin of buttocks and thighs and he gives a low whistle of appreciation. “Fuck, you actually did it.”

Water turns and tangles a hand in the soft dark curls of Fire’s hair, using it for leverage to lean in and bite at the tanned column of his neck while raking claws down his chest. He grins in satisfaction at the pained hiss that escapes Fire, licking at the coppery blood that wells up from the bite.

“You going to fuck me, or am I gonna have to just fuck your face again,” Water growls, pulling on Fire’s hair.

“Fucking hell you’re impatient tonight,” Fire huffs, feigning irritation though he delights in the show of dominance from the small ghoul. If he didn’t know he was a fire ghoul before he sure would know now.

“And whose fault is that?” Water shivers as Fire finally drops the teasing and pushes him none too gently to the bed, pausing to strip pants off before crawling on top to straddle his hips. Fire gives him a feral grin as he drags nails down Water’s chest in a mimicry of what he’d done previously, the pressure kept just light enough to avoid breaking skin but leaving bright red welts in his wake. He then flips the small ghoul over onto his stomach, positioning him on his knees with shoulders pressed to the sheets, ass in the air.

“Want me to fuck you, huh,” Fire chuckles, kneading Water’s ass as it’s presented so nicely for him. He leans in and bites hard at the curve of the left cheek, leaving a circle of teeth marks in his wake. Water jerks and moans, tail lolling to the side to expose himself. Fire runs his fingers down the cleft of his ass, teasing the tight ring of muscle before pressing a finger in. The lube had survived the earlier journey and let his finger slide in with only a bit of resistance and Fire spent a moment slowly thrusting the digit in and out, reveling in the wet squelch it made. “Want me to fill you with my cock, pound your pretty little ass into the mattress?”

“Yes,” Water gasps when Fire pulls his finger free to land an open-handed slap to his right buttock. He bites his lip to stifle the moan, instead making a quiet whining sound in the back of his throat. The sound triggers some primal response in Fire’s brain, arousal crackling through his veins to pool hot in his groin, the need to fuck clouding his senses. He grasps Water’s hips in both hands and lines up, pulling Water back onto his erection as he simultaneously thrusts forward. There’s much more resistance but with the snap of his hips he’s seated fully in dizzyingly tight heat, the sensation both amazing and overwhelming as he groans.

Water didn’t have time to brace himself for the impact, crying out in pain as Fire enters him with too little preparation. He grits his teeth and tears claws into the mattress, breathing heavy through his nose as he tries to adjust to the ache.

“Oh, Satanas you’re tight, fuck,” moans Fire. He comes back to himself at Water’s cry, panic rising as he notices the telltale signs of pain coming from the small ghoul. “Fuck, shit, I’m sorry I didn’t- Fuck.”

“Hold on,” Water hisses, shuddering as he’s finally becoming accustomed to Fire’s size.

“You… you have done this before, right,” Fire asks, cursing himself for losing control.

“Yes, its just… been awhile,” Water huffs, then clenches down on Fire’s cock. “Now, move. But… slowly, okay?”

“Yeah, okay.” Fire leans forward to press a gentle kiss to the nape of Water’s neck, shuddering when Water clenches tighter around him. He takes the instruction to heart and extracts himself with care, smearing the head of his cock across Water’s hole before pressing in again. He keeps it slow and shallow, letting the smaller ghoul relax and loosen up before going a little deeper with each thrust. His legs begin to shake from the exertion of holding back, the animalistic part of his brain still screaming and clawing at him to hammer the tight hole and claim Water completely.

A breathy moan escapes Water as Fire hits his prostate, hips pressing back, encouraging Fire to thrust deeper. The rhythm they had begins to unravel as Fire begins to pound into body beneath him, Water’s hips grinding back on the upstrokes in the hopes of Fire finding his prostate again. Pleasure sparks, high and bright, when Fire’s cock scrapes over the bundle of nerves again, making the small ghoul wail and his fingers dig into the mattress, fiber shredding under his claws.

“Fire,” Water moans in warning, the ecstasy coiled tight in his groin overflowing and unravelling as he hurtles towards climax. Fire snarls and loses himself in the base instinct to fuck, thrusting in tight, shallow circles, reveling in the sound of his balls slapping against Water’s ass. His own end is close and he snakes a hand between Water’s legs to stroke his cock.

“Come for me,” he hisses, twisting his hand _just so_ to send Water careening off the edge, spine bowing in a graceful arc as choked back sobs of pleasure fall from his lips. His seed spills over Fire’s fingers, body shuddering and clenching tight around his cock and he’s falling, orgasm a tidal wave that threatens to drown him as he cums deep inside the smaller ghoul. They’re both left panting and spent, Fire toppling over to the bed once his cock is no longer hard enough to stay inside Water, who flops over onto his side.

“That was good,” Fire purrs, reaching out to brush at strands of hair glued to Water’s cheek with sweat. It’s another moment longer before Water has the wherewithal to extract his claws from the furrows he’d dug in the mattress, sheets a tattered mess and he winces.

“Shit, sorry,” he mumbles; first time in over a week he gets to enjoy a real bed and he’s made one hell of a mess of it.

“Eh, don’t worry about it, the guy I talked to probably won’t remember any of tonight,” Fire says, smug as he stretches languidly.

“Why wouldn’t he remember,” Water asks, sitting up on his knees, scooting around the bed to avoid the wet patch his come had made on the sheets.

“Oh, well I slipped him a tiny bit of my brimstone, poor bastard is going to think it’s the craziest weed he’s ever smoked.” Fire chuckles to himself but his mirth is interrupted by a strangled sound from Water.

“You… you gave a human brimstone,” Water chokes, eyes gone wide with panic. “If… if Papa finds out, we are dead. We are _so. Dead_.”

“Relax, nobody’s gonna catch us,” Fire snorts, rolling off the bed to head for the bathroom. He tugs on Water’s tail gently to catch his attention. “Join me for a shower?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another small clarification (This might become a recurring thing at this point, damn I need to get my shit together):  
> Brimstone is a substance used by ghouls to help them deal with the metaphysical turbulence of the surface world. It is either smoked or taken in pill form and has a calming effect on ghouls (think of it as ghoulish marijuana!). It is strictly forbidden from human consumption after it was found to induce hallucinations and psychosis.
> 
> Please feel free to ask questions if there's anything I've written that I either didn't explain well or explain at all!


	3. To the Pit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papa may be all eyes, might be all ears, but the ghouls are the wall, and they're watching him fall (off the stage).
> 
> Or,
> 
> Water learns the dangers of Jägerbombs and not to taunt Papa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again to everyone who comments/kudos! You guys are awesome!
> 
> For anyone curious about it, I'm referencing the video on Youtube of the ritual where Papa III tries to kick a ball during From the Pinnacle to the Pit and falls on his ass.

“I feel kinda bad, that we’re out partying because of an injury,” Earth mumbles into his drink, shoulders hunched.

“Not as bad as Papa’s ass feels, I’m sure,” Fire cackles before downing one of the shots lined up in front of him. Water snorts a laugh; They’d all seen Papa fall while attempting to kick a ball that had managed to land on stage during the night’s ritual. Luckily it was a couple of days before the next ritual, giving him time to assuage his sore pride and backside. He’d let the ghouls loose to give himself a bit of peace and quiet on the bus.

“He’s not hurt, just a little bruised maybe,” Air informs them. Water guesses he should be relieved, but instead can’t find it in himself to care. He could feel the dark pope’s gaze lingering on his back during rituals or when alone on the tour bus, an eerie feeling of being watched.

“Here, try these.” Fire slides three little glasses to Water. One was filled with something clear, one was a golden color, the last a dark brown. He picks the clear one up, brings it to his nose for a sniff then reels away from the scent.

“Ugh, smells like cleaner.” Despite the unappetizing scent Water takes a sip, making a face as it burns his mouth.

“Oh no, not like that. You do it like this.” Fire picks his own clear-liquid filled glass up and drinks it with a toss of his head, swallowing the whole thing at once before slamming the empty cup onto the bar. Water hesitates, holding the little glass between two fingers as if afraid it would shatter if he gripped it too tight.

“Come on, drink it,” Fire presses, drinking his other shot as if to show him _hey, it doesn’t hurt, see_?

“Bottoms up,” Water mumbles before tossing the shot back. It’s almost fine till he swallows and the fumes overpower everything, setting him to coughing.

“Don’t worry,” Fire beams, slapping him on the back, “After about the fourth one you won’t notice the taste!”

\--

“This… this was a bad idea,” Earth whines, trying to steady an extremely drunk Water who was clinging to his shoulders.

“S’Great idea,” Fire slurs, him and Water bursting into a fit of giggles. Air rolls his eyes, sighs, and continues to drag the fire ghoul after Earth. They were almost at the largest complication of the short trip back to the bus: getting two inebriated ghouls up the stairs and into their bunks.

“Keep quiet, both of you,” Air warns as the door to the bus slides open in a hiss of pneumatics. He guides Fire in first, the guitarist stumbling but managing the stairs without falling. Earth follows with Water next, who has a significantly harder time. He falls a couple of times, eventually sitting down on the steps and nearly falling asleep till Earth and Air both haul him up, nearly carrying the little ghoul onto the bus.

“Papa,” Water chirps as he spies the dark pope seated near the front of the bus with Aether. Both man and ghoul look up at his call and Water grins, wide and lopsided.

“You,” he announces, with mock sincerity, “were cast out from the heavens to the ground!”

The look Papa gave him would have cut him down, were his brain not fogged over with a liberal amount of alcohol. Aether makes a strangled noise as he slaps his palm to his face.

“Goddamnit Water,” he groans, lurching forward to catch the drunk ghoul as he wobbles, beginning to tilt dangerously to the side. “I’ll deal with him, should’ve gone with them to keep this shit from happening in the first place.” Aether loops an arm around Water’s waist, slinging one of the small ghoul’s arms over his own shoulders to brace him and shuffles to the back of the bus, knowing there was no way he was going to be able to get Water into his bunk in this state.

“Aaaetherrrr,” Water singsongs, giggling as the quintessence ghoul manhandles him onto the couch. As Aether tries to step away, intending on grabbing Water’s pillow and blanket from his bunk, the bassist displays a surprising amount of agility as he lunges forward to loop both arms around Aether’s neck. Water purrs as he runs long fingers through the bigger ghoul’s short hair, cupping the back of his head and pulling him down to mash their lips together in a messy simulacrum of a kiss. Aether gasps in surprise, giving Water an opportunity to thrust his tongue into his mouth. Water tastes of cheap alcohol and something reminiscent of licorice, then of metallic blood as his tongue catches on one of Aether’s fangs. The guitarist tries to pull away but Water’s hold on his head is oddly steadfast, making him grunt and have to pry the hands away before breaking off the kiss.

“No,” Aether gasps, catching hold of grabbing hands as they reach for him again. “Water, no. Stop.”

“No?” The small ghoul looks up at him, his face a mask of innocence and confusion attributed to intoxication. “Why no?”

“I don’t want this,” Aether sighs and Water blinks at him blankly. It takes a few moments to sink through the fog of alcohol, but when it does his eyes widen and face falls, bottom lip beginning to tremble. It’s heart rending to see how crushed the little ghoul seems by the rejection but Aether knows it’s all just the alcohol warping his emotions. He retreats to the bunks, rifling through Water’s to retrieve a pillow and a blanket, then grabbing a bottle of water before heading back. He finds Water curled into a tight ball, knees to his chest with arms and tail wrapped about them, facing the cushions. His chest rises and falls with the smooth, measured breaths of sleep; he’s so far under he doesn’t’ wake as Aether tucks the pillow under his head and covers him with the blanket. He watches the bassist for a short time before sighing and running a hand through his short-cropped hair, quietly leaving for the front of the bus.

\--

It’s been a day and a half since Water had woken with the worst hangover of his entire life. His stomach has been sour since he’d thrown up the first time, when the bus had stopped for gas and they had all gone to a small café for coffee and breakfast. He’d barely been able to keep down the crackers and ginger ale Aether and Air kept trying to force into him, gut roiling and protesting even the most inoffensive of food. He’d spent the better part of the past day curled up in his bunk, trying to sleep the headache and nausea away. Now they were getting ready for the next ritual and he was glad to feel better, though still not yet back to one hundred percent. There’s an odd feeling that clings to him, something like regret mixed with something else he can’t put his finger on.

“Ghoul.”

The quiet yet commanding voice sends a jolt down his spine, freezing him where he stands.

“Come,” Papa commands, motioning for Water to follow. A slight tremor goes through his body as he removes his bass, setting it gently down and meekly following the dark pope into another room backstage. This one is filled with heaps of miscellaneous items and junk and seems to not see much traffic. An uneasy feeling settles in the pit of his stomach at being alone with Papa in so secluded an area. The door slides shut, and Papa walks around him, like a shark circling prey.

“It seems as if you have been enjoying yourself, no?”

“Uhm,” Water begins, not sure where any of this is going. Not sure if he _wants_ to know where it’s going.

“You like the freedom we have given you, the glowing adoration of our fans and congregation, yes?” Papa stops behind him, the aura of his presence heavy against back, fingers working his mask off and the balaclava underneath is removed.

“Y-yes, Papa,” Water stammers, gasping as Papa is suddenly pressed against his back, hands gripping his hips. His heart hammers in his throat as he tries not to tremble with anxiety. Papa hums in his ear as his right hand leaves Water’s hip to knead at the front of his pants, giving a quiet huff of laughter when the ghoul jerks and gasps at the touch.

“You like this, do you not?” Fingers trace the shape of his dick through the fabric as it begins to stiffen under the attention, “Being touched, pleasured by someone, hm?”

“Yes,” Water breathes, head falling back against Papa’s shoulder. He gasps as Papa undoes the zip and snap of his pants, pushing aside layers of fabric to free his cock.

“Beautiful.” Papa's voice is husky, warm breath tickling his ear. Water makes a strangled noise as the hand encloses around him, working the shaft in slow, loose pulls. He tries to buck his hips, needing more friction, but papa's other hand grips his hip and holds him firmly in place.

“Oh, you want more, do you?” Papa chuckles quietly as the bassist writhes under his hands. “You think you deserve more, yes?”

“Yes Papa, please. I've been good, Papa,” Water moans, breath hitching with each stroke.

“Have you now?” Papa slows his hand and bites at his ear “I don't know about that… It seems you haven't been… playing your part quite so well lately. Water ghouls are not known for leaving marks where they can be seen.”

Water goes still, heart racing. Shit, he’d forgotten about the hickey he’d left on Fire’s neck a few weeks ago.

“Do not think I am not watching.” Papa’s voice is a sultry purr as his hand moves lowers to grasp his balls in a punishingly tight grip. Water gives a strangled shout at the sudden pain, claws splaying out but not having anything he can sink them in to.

“You will do as I've told you, yes?”

“Yes Papa, anything, please,” Water begs, the pain in his scrotum making his eyes tear up.

“Good.” Papa releases his hold and Water nearly sobs in relief, panting as the pressure is alleviated. Papa goes back to stroking his cock gently, turning the pained gasps into quiet moans of pleasure.

“You will remember, from now on, that everything you have, everything you are, is mine to control. Obey and you will be rewarded,” he drags his thumb over the head, smearing precome across the slit.

“Defy me and there will be punishment.”

“Yes, Papa,” Water moans, hips jerking as Papa twists his hand, sending sparks of pleasure down the ghoul’s spine. Lips press against the left side of his throat, tongue licking at the flesh as if he could taste Water’s pulse as it beat beneath the thin layer of skin.

“You want to come,” Papa asks, chuckling as Water’s only response is to moan and jerk his hips.

“Much as I want to see you come apart,” Papa sighs into his neck, “You must still pay the price for your earlier… _insolence._ ” The hand on his cock stills then is removed, making Water whimper at the loss.

“There will be no… _Happy endings_ , for you, tonight.” Papa takes a small step away from the ghoul, fingers tangling into this long hair to twist cruelly and pull his head back, further baring his neck. “In fact, you are not allowed to reach completion at all till I give you leave to do so.”

Water keens, nerves flayed at the switching from pleasure to pain, nodding his understanding as words fail him. His knees begin to shake, threatening to drop him to the ground.

“Good,” Papa purrs, leaning over to place an oddly gentle kiss to Water’s lips before letting go of the ghoul’s hair. He turns on his heel and marches from the room, leaving Water to collapse against a stack of boxes.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Water breathes, hands hovering over his erection, caught between the need to finish and the terror of what Papa would do if he was caught. He tucks himself carefully back into his pants, slumping against the boxes as he waits for the arousal thudding in his veins to fade. His mind drifts and he almost falls asleep when a voice jerks him back to the present.

“Water? What are you doing in here, it’s almost time,” Aether chastises him as he pushes the door open and enters the room.

“Hey, are you alright? You look ill.” Aether’s voice is heavy with concern as he takes in the redness of Water’s cheeks and the disoriented look on his face.

“I’m fine,” the bassist mumbles, slipping the balaclava over his head and putting his mask back on. He only wobbles a bit once back on his feet, brushing off the dust and trying to smooth out any wrinkles from his cassock.

“You sure? I can go get Papa if-“

“No.” Water interjects, his insides twisting violently at the mention of the dark pope. “I’m fine, let’s go.”

\--

Water has spent the last three days in something of a trance. His mind has become fuzzy and dull from the constant need to repress any sexual urges that rise up, clamoring for release.

_Do not forget: I am always watching._

Water shudders at the memory: Papa murmuring in his ear as they had left the stage three nights ago, words both a promise and a threat. He’d followed Papa’s orders with rigid adherence, having not touched himself once in the time since. He’d spent the past two days avoiding any interaction with the man, not wanting to seem weak and cave in so soon. Now, however, he can barely stand it anymore. The deep rumble of his bass as he tunes the strings resonates through his body, pooling in his groin to make his cock twitch. He’s lucky his mask hides his face, sweaty and red already though they haven’t even stepped out on stage.

He couldn’t do this anymore, positioning his bass to hide the front of his pants and the jut of his erection. He resigned to go crawling to Papa after the ritual and beg for permission to come.

The thought of it was ash in his mouth, but there was nothing he could do but bend to his Papa’s will.

\--

Nervous energy crackled in his blood, tingling down his arms and legs, as he stood outside of Papa’s dressing room. He knocked, shifting from foot to foot till a voice called out for him to enter. He slipped inside, closing the door behind him and standing, back ramrod straight and eyes at the floor.

“Ah, Water,” Papa says, feigning surprise at the appearance of the bassist. “What can I do for you, my ghoul?”

Water bites his cheek to keep from saying or doing something that would, most likely, get him killed.

“Papa,” he begins, shoulders slumping as he fidgets, “I… I need…”

“Come here,” the man purrs, motioning the ghoul to where he sits on a small couch. Water hesitates only slightly, clearing the room in a few short strides. Papa’s mismatched eyes rake over him, taking in every small detail. “Remove your mask, please.”

Water complies, pulling the balaclava from his head as well, holding the mask in trembling hands.

“What is it you want, dear Water,” Papa asks, smirking as the little ghoul’s tail swings in agitation. He knows very well what Water wants but delights in the torment of making the creature beg for him.

“I… Papa, I… fuck, I want…” He trips over the words, making an irritated sound at the humiliation of having to say it out loud.

“I need to come. Please, Papa, may I?” The words leave in a rush, his cheeks blooming scarlet.

“You have done very well these last few days,” Papa murmurs, enjoying watching the ghoul squirm in shame. “Very well, then. Remove your clothes.”

Water’s hands shake as he jumps to do as he’s bid, removing his fascia and working at the buttons on his cassock. He folds the items and sets the to the side; shoes, spats, pants and underwear all being added to the pile till he’s left standing before Papa without a stitch of clothing. The dark pope makes a sound of appreciation, eyes cataloging the lines of long-healed scars and the shine of the barbells pierced through his nipples, down to where his cock stands, already half-hard, between his legs.

“On your hands and knees, and turn around,” he orders, licking at his lips as the ghoul turns and sinks to the floor with a cat-like grace. Water spreads his legs on instinct, arcing his back slightly to present his ass to Papa.

“Ah, what a sight you are,” Papa purrs, leaving the couch to kneel behind Water. He runs his hands over the ghoul’s backside, thumbs tracing the curve before spreading him wide. He leans in and licks a stripe from balls to tail, making Water shudder and moan as he traces his tongue over the puckered flesh of his hole. He slowly works his tongue in, lapping and lathing at the muscle before the ghoul finally relaxes enough to slip inside, slicking him with spit. He eventually shifts to hook two fingers inside, pulling to hold Water open and fuck him with his tongue.

“Papa,” Water moans, shuddering at the pleasure that coils tight and hot in his gut. Papa pulls away, wiping at the moisture on his face and smirking at the wanton mess he’s already made of the little bassist.

“Up,” he commands, settling back on the couch as Water comes to his knees, turning to face him. Papa undoes his pants and pulls his cock out, stoking himself languidly with one hand as he beckons the ghoul forward with a finger. Water crawls on all fours to kneel before the dark pope, tongue darting to lick his lips as he watches the motion of Papa’s hand on his cock.

“What do you want, dearest Water?” He grins as he watches Water’s eyes, pupils blown wide in arousal, flick up to his own then back to his cock.

“You want this, hm?” He gestures to his cock, chuckling darkly as the ghoul nods. “Where do you want it? Come now, speak up.”

“I-in my mouth,” Water breathes, surging forward once Papa waves him forward in an invitation. He settles between Papa’s legs, locking eyes as he leans forward and presses a kiss to the head. Papa hums in pleasure as Water opens his mouth to let the head slip between his lips, suckling at it gently. He bobs his head in a shallow motion, running hands up clothed thighs as his mouth slides and sucks at the hard, throbbing flesh, tongue tracing along veins and the edge of the crown. Papa rests a hand atop Water’s head, rubbing his thumb along the base of one of the ghoul’s horns, a gentle presence but not using it to dictate the ghoul’s movements. He lets his head roll back and sighs in contentment, eyes falling closed as Water sucks his off, the motions not the most skillful but he makes up for it in pure enthusiasm. He lets the ghoul set the pace, hips occasionally hitching when Water does something particularly interesting with his forked tongue, murmuring quiet sounds of encouragement as he inches closer and closer to orgasm.

An ache had begun to settle in Water’s jaw, unaccustomed to spending this long performing oral sex. He wraps the fingers of one hand around the base of Papa’s cock to stroke him as he pulls back to focus his mouth more on the sensitive head. He flicks and swirls the forks of his tongue against the slit, lapping at the precome that wells up. Papa groans, hips bucking at the sensation, breath beginning to quicken.

“Oh Lucifer, your tongue is sinful,” he pants, scratching blunt nails against his scalp. The coiled knot of pleasure in his gut beginning to unravel and he grips Water’s head, pulling him down to force his cock down the ghoul’s throat as he comes. Water makes a strangled noise, gagging as his airflow is cut off, nails scratching at Papa’s legs in panic. Papa lets out a pained hiss, dragging Water off of his flagging cock. Water gasps wetly and falls back onto his ass, legs splayed out and erect cock jutting up proudly, the very image of debauchery.

“Very good,” Papa murmurs, leaning forward to wipe at Water’s chin, gathering a streak of saliva and cum that had dripped from his mouth on his thumb. He presses the finger to Water’s lips, giving the ghoul a beatific smile as he licks it clean.

“You’ve earned your reward, I think.” Papa tucks his flaccid cock back into his pants and leans forward to brace elbows on his knees, chin propped up on laced fingers. “You may touch yourself.”

“Go on, I want to see the ecstasy on your face when you come,” he prods when Water hesitates. For someone who had been through plenty of more wicked acts in the half hour he was oddly timid of masturbating in front of someone else. It was a strange kind of cute, and Papa enjoyed the embarrassment that colored Water’s cheeks as he cautiously reaches down to grasp his cock. His eyes flutter shut as he begins to stroke himself, his other hand reaching to pinch at a dusky nipple. Quiet gasps turn to short little moans of pleasure as he’s already closing in on completion; the tension piled up from the past few days wrecking his stamina.

“Open your eyes,” Papa growls, “I want you to look at me when you come.”

Water obeys, gaze locking onto Papa’s mismatched eyes. His movements quicken, fist tightening around himself as he moans, _so close, so close…_!

Orgasm hits like a freight train, eyes going wide and mouth falling open in a stifled moan. His back arcs as his cum spills over his hand and onto his stomach and thighs. Papa gives a delighted sound at the sight, drinking in all the details as Water comes down from his orgasm.

“Lovely,” he murmurs as he leans back against the couch. “Do remember to clean yourself up.”

Water blinks slowly, looking side to side in a slight bit of confusion. Papa gives him a pointed look and the bassist manages to blush even darker, bringing his soiled hand to mouth. He licks delicately at the sticky mess, like a cat cleaning it’s paw, keeping his eyes glued to Papa. When his hand is clean Papa leaves the couch, bending down to kiss Water hard, tongue thrusting between his lips to taste the musky flavor of his cum.

“Finish up then get dressed,” he orders against Water’s lips, running his tongue along the chapped skin, “We don’t want to disappoint our fans, now, do we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I managed to type Water and Papa's first interaction at work, hiding in a corner in the breakroom. Do you know how shitty it is trying to actually type something of substance on a phone? Sucks balls man.  
> (TOTALLY WORTH IT THOUGH)


	4. Nocturne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the end of the tour and things go to hell in a hand basket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for violence, blood, and slight dub-con (for a kinda rape-y bit). Tags have been updated appropriately.
> 
> I apologize in advance. I'm writing something fluffy to make up for this, I swear.

He couldn’t sleep.

It was around three in the morning and raining, the bus dead silent but for the hum of the engine and quiet hiss of the tires over water. They were all exhausted from five shows back to back with little time between each to deal with anything beyond the necessities. An odd feeling that Water couldn’t put a name to churned in the pit of his stomach, leaving him anxious and nerves on edge. His bunk felt claustrophobic and he abandoned it for the back lounge, curling up on a couch to watch the rain drip down the windows. He catches movement from the corner of his eye, turning to see Fire leaning in the doorway yawning.

“Can’t sleep,” Fire asks quietly, padding over to flop against the couch cushions. Water nods, turning back to the rain-splattered windows.

“So, hey.” Fire traces a finger down his tail and he shivers, looking back to the guitarist. “Since you’re not a water ghoul, it’s kind of odd to call you Water. Do you have any other name?”

“We’re supposed to be nameless,” he murmurs, curling his tail around Fire’s wrist.

“That’s only supposed to apply to names in the human tongues. And you see how well we follow that up here, huh?” Fire did have a point there. Ghouls in Hell had names just like humans did, however they were less a spoken word and more a conveyance of images, feelings, or ideas. Actual names were extremely rare and had to be earned. Fire toys with his tail, tugging on it gently. “So, what do you call yourself?”

“Ember,” he says, voice barely a whisper.

“Hm, fitting, I think” Fire replies after a moment before reaching over to pull Ember into his lap. The smaller ghoul huffs and gives Fire an annoyed look, which is met with a mischievous grin. “Wanna have some fun?”

“What, no!” Ember pulls away, batting at the hands trying to slip under his shirt. “Everyone is right behind that curtain, they could wake up and come in here at any moment.”

“Aww, come on, it’d help you sleep,” Fire pouts and Ember sighs.

“You want Papa to walk in on us?” Fire winces and shakes his head; Papa catching him balls deep in their bassist would be the last thing they needed. The dark pope been so touchy lately, snapping at the ghouls for the smallest of reasons. Ember shifts, crawling off of Fire to the cushion next to him, stretching his legs out along the seat and laying his head in Fire’s lap. Ember wasn’t going to admit he was sorely tempted by the offer; getting off was his usual remedy for sleepless nights. But he didn’t want to chance the risk, already feeling as if he was walking a tightrope.

“This is nice,” he murmurs, Fire humming in agreement. He runs fingers through Ember’s hair, the blunt back of his claws gently scraping at his scalp. Ember makes a quiet noise of contented pleasure, curling closer as his eyes flutter shut and Fire focuses on the slight rise and fall of his chest as he breathes. After an undetermined amount of time the ghouls fall asleep, lulled into slumber by each other’s presence and the muffled hiss and patter of rain.

\--

“Who are you always talking to,” Fire asks, materializing out of nowhere to lean over Aether’s shoulder and look at his phone.

“I’m going to put a bell on you and Papa,” Aether sighs, though he does not show any outward signs of being surprised by the ghoul’s sudden appearance.

“Not my fault you’re always too attached to that thing to notice stuff.” Aether clicks the lock button, turning off the screen to keep Fire from poking his nose into his business. “So who is it, a girlfriend?”

“No. Why are you being like this,” Aether asks, pushing the fire ghoul away.

“Because I’m bored, and you banned me from my number one distraction.”

“It took an entire day to air the bus out after the last time you fucked someone inside it,” Aether growls and Fire just shrugs.

“Whatever. So that leaves me one other option to cure my boredom, and that’s pestering you. Not gonna lie, you make it easy.” Aether debates leaving for the front of the bus, but he’s comfortable here in the back, settled in and not really wanting to move just because Fire was being obnoxious.

“Can’t you just, read a book or something?”

“Ugh, why would I do that?” Fire wrinkles his nose at the suggestion. Even if he did want to, there wasn’t exactly much in the way of readable material on the bus. Unless you counted Earth’s stash of trashy romance novels, which he didn’t.

“Is it… a boyfriend,” Fire asks after a short moment of silence.

“No!”

“Or, maybe it’s-“ The phone in question begins to buzz with an incoming call. Fire pounces, snatching the phone away before Aether can blink.

“Damn it Fire, give that back,” the bigger ghoul snarls, lunging for his phone but Fire holds him off with one arm.

“Well now, lets see who your mysterious admirer is,” he crows, turning the screen on to see who was calling. Sister Imperator’s name and picture was the last person he would have guessed to see on the phone.

“Nevermind, all yours.” Fire tosses the phone away as if it bit him, scampering off to the other end of the bus. Aether barely manages to catch it before it hits the floor.

“Fucking fire ghouls,” Aether growls, swiping a claw across the glass to answer the call.

\--

 _Something is odd,_ Ember thinks, fiddling with his bass backstage. It’s the last ritual of the tour and there’s a buzz of spirited excitement floating through the band. He watches Fire tease Air, who pointedly ignores him, till Earth swoops in and tries to use Fire’s mask as a drum pad. The two ghouls bicker and chase each other back and forth playfully. Ember is surprised Aether hadn’t yelled at them yet and looking around reveals he’s nowhere to be seen. Setting his bass down he wanders around the venue for any sign of the quintessence ghoul. He’s back near the tour bus when he catches it: the faint, acrid scent of brimstone on the wind. Rounding a corner he finally spies Aether, mask and balaclava set aside as he takes a long drag from his cigarette, leaning against the side of the building as he stares intently at his phone.

An odd emotion coils in his gut, making his palms clammy and slick with sweat, as he silently watches the big ghoul. There’s a line of tension stretching from his neck across his shoulders, brow furrowed in concentration. Ember has never seen Aether so worked up before and it makes the strange feeling wind tighter, like some kind of strangling vine was wrapped around his spine with tendrils cheeping up to his chest. He walks forward, scuffing his feet on the cement to alert the other ghoul of his presence, glad his mask was still on to hide the worry etching across his face.

“Aether?” Ember inhales deeply as the wind shifts a cloud of smoke towards him, the smell familiar and comforting. It evokes memories of mass held back home at the church, Papa II standing imposing at the pulpit as he delivers a sermon.

“Oh, Water, sorry.” Aether fumbles with his phone, tucking it back into his pocket and moving to crush the cigarette under his heel.

“Can I,” Ember asks, motioning to the rollup before it’s put out. Aether cocks his head but hands it over, watching Ember tilt his mask up and bring the cigarette to his lips. He takes a shallow breath, holding it in for a moment before blowing the smoke out his nose. The brimstone curls heavy and languid in his lungs, smothering out the strange feeling that had been plaguing him. He hands it back over and Aether takes a deep drag, Embers eyes glued to his lips as the smoke curls from them in the exhale. They pass the cigarette back and forth till it’s burnt down to the filter, the silence soothing and devoid of the need to fill it with talk.

“Should head inside,” Aether eventually says, fingers twisting in the silver bracelet on his left wrist. “Show’s going to start soon.”

“You alright,” Ember asks, still a bit worried at Aether’s strange mood.

“Just… tired, you know? Ready to go home for a while.” He smiles wearily, pulling his balaclava and mask back on. Ember nods in agreement; he’s enjoyed the freedom of being away from the church grounds, but he’s ready to go back his own room and the privacy it afforded him. The two ghouls walk back side-by-side to the backstage area, Ember going to check the tuning on his bass while Aether lectures Earth and Fire about horsing around near the equipment.

\--

He’s standing up on the platform on the left end of the stage when the screams catch Ember’s attention. Immediately looking around as panic spikes sharp in his chest he realizes Papa is being manhandled from the stage by two large men in suits. He’s rooted in place as he watches Aether give chase, finally moving when Fire jerks his masked chin after them. He manages to catch a look from the corner of his eye as a feeble, elderly man in ornate robes being assisted on stage by two more suits, and his head spins in confusion.

“The fuck is going on,” he hisses to Fire as they jog to catch up to Aether’s long strides.

“That was the clergy. This is all kinds of weird now.” Fire sidesteps a technician who stands by gawking at the scene, one hand on his guitar and the other clutching at Ember’s sleeve to keep the bassist with him. They burst out the back doors just in time to see the doors of a blacked-out sedan slam shut and the car pulls away. Aether stands at the curb, watching the car disappear down the street; Papa is nowhere to be seen.

“The hell is going on,” Fire asks Aether, glancing around the area.

“Go back to the bus,” Aether orders, his voice cold and distant. It almost sounds as if it’s not Aether at all under the mask.

“The fuck? I don’t take orders from you,” Fire snarls, dominant streak raising its ugly head. Aether turns, the movement slow and measured, to glare at Fire.

“You will,” Aether intones, the air becoming heavier as the two ghouls square up, a low growl rumbling from Fire’s throat. Ember shrinks away, a feeling of cold tendrils crawling up his spine and it’s suddenly hard to breathe, the miasma of power descending upon them nearly dragging him to his knees. He whimpers and tugs at Fire’s cassock, instincts screaming at him to run and hide.

“Fire, Fire please let’s just go,” Ember begs quietly, the atmosphere going electric with barely restrained violence. Fire growls and shoves Ember back with one hand, eyes never leaving Aether, the force of it sending the bassist sprawling backwards. He yelps as he falls back onto his ass, fumbling to keep his bass from hitting the ground.

An idea occurs to him, something extremely risky but perhaps worth it to keep the two larger ghouls from ripping each other apart out here in the open, where they could be seen by any human passersby. He keens loudly, hunching in on himself and tilting his head to bear the column of his throat. The sharp noise grabs Fire’s attention, head snapping back to affix his burning gaze on the small ghoul. Ember can’t see the guitarist’s face but knows what it would look like: pupils dilating, nostrils flaring as he scents the air. Now that he had the fire ghoul’s attention he does the dumbest thing he’s done in weeks: He jumps up and runs toward the bus as fast as his lanky legs would carry him.

There’s an angry howl from behind him and he panics, pulling at the bus door and scrambling up the stairs as fast as he can. For a brief moment he’s thankful the idea had worked: he’d given the fire ghoul a weaker target to chase, and he’d taken the bait just as he’d hoped. Unfortunately, now that he was the subject of Fire’s murderous rage, he was going to have to find a way to keep the dominant ghoul from tearing him apart.

Ember’s barely inside, not even to the bunks, when the bus rocks and claws dig into the collar of his cassock, yanking him to the floor. There’s a deep twang and a snap; one of the strings on his bass has broken. Ember swears, trying to untangle himself from the shoulder strap to get the instrument out of the way but there’s no time, Fire’s claws gouging at his mask and sending it careening to the side.

Ember yelps as his balaclava is yanked off and Fire grasps a handful of his hair, tugging on it hard enough to pull the smaller ghoul to his knees. He growls and hisses; he might not be able to match against Fire in a fight, but he was sure as hell going to make it as difficult as possible.

Fire gets claws into his shoulder strap, the now compromised material giving way under the stress of the fight and weight of the instrument. The bass hits the floor with a thud and Ember kicks it away, hoping it doesn’t get too damaged. Fire yanks on his hair again, hard, and Ember lets out a pained snarl, his own claws scrabbling at the guitarist’s hand for freedom. He manages to kick out and land a foot in Fire’s groin, the bigger ghoul hissing in pain and doubling over. He loses his hold on Ember’s hair and the small ghoul takes that as a chance to try and scramble away. It’s at the last moment that Ember notices he had made a mistake: He’d run for the back of the bus, not the front, and was now trapped.

“Fuck,” he breathes, about to turn and make a run for the door when claws dig into his shoulders and slice down, shredding through cloth and flesh alike. He screams as the pain blossoms bright and hot, clouding his mind and keeping him from resisting as Fire yanks at his cassock, tearing the shredded thing away in pieces. His hair is grasped again and pulled, yanking his head to the side and exposing his neck. Teeth bite down, sharp canines puncturing twin holes into the pale flesh, and Ember hopes Fire has the wherewithal to avoid his jugular. He can feel blood begin to trickle down over his clavicle as Fire pulls his mouth away, pain a deep throb in time with his racing pulse. The larger ghoul growls as he turns and pushes Ember over, making him cry out as his tattered back hits the carpet.

Fighting wasn’t going to work. He has one option left that he can see to avoid being torn to pieces. It’s again not a good idea, but it was all he had left to try.

Ember barely manages to scramble to his feet and lunges forward, suppressing the pain radiating from his back and neck, grabbing the sides of Fire’s face and pulling him down, pressing their mouths together harshly. He opens his mouth and moans against hot lips, hoping Fire will notice the invitation through the haze of bloodlust. The larger ghoul stills, then a full body shudder goes through him as his brain changes gears from kill to fuck. He kisses Ember back, all teeth and tongue, biting and licking at Ember’s mouth as he whimpers in submission. Fire pulls away to force Ember to his knees, using one hand to undo his pants before pressing Ember’s face to his still-clothed cock.

Ember manages to hook his thumbs into the elastic of Fire’s boxers, trying to the pull the fabric down as Fire grinds against his face, the member trapped inside his underwear already hard and straining at the cloth. He’s eventually successful, Fire’s dick springing free from its prison so that Ember could swallow him down. The guitarist groans and shudders as he’s sheathed in the wet heat of Ember’s mouth, the fingers that lace into his hair almost gentle before they clench around his head. Fire holds him in place as he snaps his hips forward, thrusting hard down Ember’s throat. He gags, coughing as the obstruction is removed but Fire pulls his head down as he thrusts forward again. Ember whimpers, tears streaming down his cheeks as Fire fucks his mouth hard, cock ramming into the back of his throat with each thrust. He tries to relax his jaw and just ride it but is unable to control his gag reflex, leaving him panting and running out of air.

Just when he thinks he’s going to die like this, suffocated with Fire’s cock jammed down his throat, the guitarist relents. He pulls Ember back by his hair, cock slipping from his mouth as he pants, tongue lolling against his lips, throat gone raw from the abuse. Fire makes a low noise of pleasure, giving Ember a grin that’s all fangs and bloodstained lips as he runs a couple of fingers through the mix of tears and spit that drips down his chin. Ember is then shoved back hard to land on his back, spikes of pain radiating from the claw marks and making him clench his eyes shut and hiss in discomfort.

His eyes snap open as Fire grips the top of his pants, and with a show of strength that he’d enjoy if the circumstances were different, he pulls, tearing them apart at the seams and dragging them down his legs. They get caught on his shoes and Fire tugs at them uselessly, Ember almost panicking as the fire ghoul becomes agitated at the obstacle, worried he’d attack his legs with claws. He manages to kick the shoes off so the pants could be yanked all the way off and tossed aside. Fire grins down at him, eyes glinting with a maniacal light as he rakes his gaze over the naked body spayed out before him. If he notices that Ember isn’t aroused, cock limp against his thigh, he makes no sign. He shoves himself between Ember’s legs and runs claws down the soft skin on his thighs. He grasps the small ghoul’s legs behind the knees and pushes them up and out, spreading him open.

“Fire,” Ember hisses, the manhandling rough but the other ghoul doesn’t seem to listen. When Fire spits into his hand and strokes his cock, coating it in saliva, Ember begins to panic.

“Fire, Fire please, don’t,” he begs as the larger ghoul lines himself up. He tries to pull away, jerking and kicking his legs and trying to drag himself away with his arms. All he accomplishes is angering the fire ghoul, who growls in warning before dropping a leg over his shoulder to reach a hand up and grasp Ember’s face, slamming his head to the floor once, hard, to stun him.

Stars burst across his vision as his head hits the ground, making his eyesight swim. Everything becomes oddly disjointed and he watches, as if in slow motion and an out-of-body experience, as Fire guides his cock between his butt cheeks. He can see the muscles bunch and tighten, pulling back just a bit before surging forward and then-

_Agony._

Ember screams as Fire’s cockhead breaches the tight ring of muscle, forcing his cock inside Ember’s hole. He writhes, crying for Fire to stop, feeling as if he’s being torn apart from the inside. Fire just grunts and pounds into him, scratching claws down the backs of his legs. One hard thrust slams into Ember’s prostate and he jerks, the pleasure-pain singing sharp as his brain releases a flood of endorphins into his bloodstream.

It’s like a switch is thrown in Ember’s mind; though the pain is still there, a white-hot mass of agony, it’s suddenly dulled by a haze of desire, blood rushing to his groin and stiffening his cock. His back arcs and he moans loudly, reaching out to grasp any part of Fire he could get his hands on, scratching claws through cloth and down sweat-slick skin. Ember bucks his hips, the ache of his stretched out, abused asshole ignored as he chases those thermite-hot sparks of pleasure.

Distantly Ember finds that he’s babbling, sobbing incoherence as they find the right angle to hit his prostate with each thrust. The torrent of pleasure drowns out everything as he comes, untouched, strangled sobs of ecstasy falling from his lips. The rush of chemicals floods his veins, the myriad of feelings shorting out his brain as they all clamor for attention. His vision loses focus then fades, dropping him into the blessed void of oblivion.

\--

Aether hesitates, knowing he should follow Water and Fire to the bus, worried the fire ghoul might hurt the little bassist. But he still has a task to perform and knows it must be done; Water knew how to handle the fire ghoul, Aether had watched how they had formed something of a relationship while on the road. He decides to trust the water ghoul to take care of himself, he after all had seemed like he knew what he was doing in enticing the guitarist to chase after him.

He returns to the venue, handing his guitar to one of the road crew before finding the room guarded by two men in black suits. He gives them a nod and enters, eyes alighting on the old man seated in a chair with an oxygen mask held to his mouth.

“Papa Nihil.” Aether kneels before the old priest, subservient.

“Ah, old friend, no need for that,” the priest gasps, a shaky hand coming to rest on the top of Aether’s mask. He wished to be able to remove it, craving the touch of skin on skin, but there were too many humans around to deem it proper. “Is it done?”

“Yes, Papa. He’s on his way back to Sister, as asked.”

“Did he cause much trouble?”

“No, nothing we weren’t able to handle.”

“Good, good. He was always my most troublesome child.” Papa Nihil coughs wetly, wracking his frail frame. Aether’s heart jerks in panic, reaching up to assist but is waved off.

“Go and attend your brothers, it is time you returned home,” the old priest orders, placing the mask back to his face and breathing deep. Aether gently takes the hand outstretched to him, pressing lips to knuckles before retreating. Leaving the man whom he had served faithfully for so long leaves a dull ache in his chest.

He finds Air and Earth backstage, seeing to their equipment. He joins them wordlessly, the work something to occupy his mind instead of fretting over the old clergyman’s health.

“Where’s Fire and Water,” Earth asks as the last of his drums are disassembled and stowed away.

“We saw them chase after you,” Air adds, handing a bundle of cables to one of the road crew running about. Aether is glad the two ghouls had the sense not to ask about what had happened; giving a coherent explanation was not something he thought himself capable of at the time.

“They’re on the bus.” Aether doesn’t mean to be short with them, but his mind feels jagged and raw from the day’s events. There’s not much left that the ghouls could do, so they leave the road crew to their work and head back to the bus themselves.

Once outside something pricks at the back of Aether’s neck, causing him to stumble slightly. Earth and Air pick up on it too, the drummer making a low noise in his throat. As they near the open bus door they detect a particular scent in the air, making them wrinkle their noses.

“Not again,” Air sighs, but then they catch another scent almost buried underneath the miasma of pheromones: the thick, metallic smell of blood.

 _Oh, fuck._ Aether’s heart hammers in his throat as he rushes forward, practically leaping up the stairs into the bus. Inside he finds Fire’s white Fantomen, tossed under a table with its neck snapped in half. Water’s bass is on the opposite side from the ruined guitar, sporting a few scratches and a broken string but otherwise no worse for wear. He hears a groan from the back of the bus and lurches forward to the back lounge, pushing the divider curtain aside and his blood runs cold.

 _I should have followed them. Fuck, I shouldn’t have left them alone._ His mind desperately tries to take in the scene: Fire, his cassock nearly shredded to pieces and panting from exertion, kneels above Water. The bassist is unconscious, clothes gone and covered in a multitude of bloody cuts, but his chest rises and falls regularly as he breathes.

Fire grunts quietly when Aether grasps his upper arms but does not resist, allowing Aether to pull him away from Water. A sickening feeling burns in his gut as he takes note of Fire’s groin, flaccid member decorated with drying blood and semen. Rage sparks and burns bright in his veins but he banishes the feeling; he can’t blame this entirely on the fire ghoul.

This was, after all, his own fault.

“Oh fuck,” Earth squeaks as he and Air crowd in behind Aether. The drummer flinches back from the carnage with a small whine as Aether moves to the side and beckons the two ghouls forward.

“Get Fire to the front and take care of him, I’ll handle Water,” Aether tells them, helping them get Fire’s arms slung over their shoulders to carry him. He pulls the curtain closed behind them before kneeling next to the bassist. He takes stock of the little ghoul’s state: there’s a bite still seeping blood at his neck, long furrows of claw marks down arms and legs, deeper gashes on his inner thighs that are still bleeding. His chest and abdomen are strangely free of marks and blood, though there’s cum drying in stripes in his lower half. He slips away to grab a container of wet wipes, pulling a handful out and dabbing at the mess delicately when he returns.

“I’m so sorry,” Aether whispers to the unconscious ghoul, tossing the first of many soiled wipes to the side. He touches fingertips to the rent flesh of Water’s thighs, breathing in deep as he wills his own elemental power to rise. It’s slow, languid, moving through him like a large animal being roused from deep sleep. He hasn’t used it in years, and he hopes that it does not decide to abandon him now that he truly needs it. It eventually responds to his gentle coaxing, rearing up bright and shining as he directs it to his fingers. It rushes like a mountain stream, cold and strong, flooding from his body to the flesh beneath his hand. He watches carefully as the cuts begin to fade and the flesh knits itself back together, moving his hand to direct the power to the next injury as the first turn to nothing more than faint white scars.

\--

A weird sensation tickles at him, like a multitude of tiny needles skitter against the skin of his back. It makes him shiver, eyes fluttering open to see the cause. He’s still on the bus though he’d been moved to the couch, the curtains drawn over the windows to drown out the light. He’s curled up on his side, limbs still suffused with lassitude.

“Hey,” Aether greets, voice quiet and subdued, materializing from the darkness before him. Ember blinks, eyes beginning to adjust to the dim light to pick out details.

“Ngh.” Ember shudders, throat raw and burning.

“Shh, don’t talk, it’s alright,” Aether comforts, the prickling in his back fading as Aether takes his hand away. It doesn’t seem to make sense to Ember’s mind, the connection between the feeling and Aether’s touch till the quintessence ghoul brings a hand to the side of his neck. The throbbing puncture wounds from Fire’s fangs flare brightly for the barest moment before the prickling returns. After a moment he moves his hand to gently lay two fingers along the front of his throat, one above and the other below his Adam’s apple. When the prickling fades again Ember finds himself able to swallow without pain.

“Oh,” he breathes, never having felt Aether’s healing powers before; the sensation odd but not unpleasant. He slowly shifts through the catalog of injuries he remembered from the incident with Fire and finds that most are no longer screaming pain along his nerves, though there is now a dull full-body ache settled deep into his bones. With some effort he’s able to lift himself up on one arm, peering down the line of his body. Even in the dim light he expects to see the claw marks on his thighs, bright red and swollen things, but upon looking he can’t make anything out at all. He runs a hand over the skin, able to feel the raised bump of scar tissue that should have been weeks in the making.

“How…?” He’s mesmerized by the findings, moving to run his hands all over his skin to find the cuts now just thin lines of scars.

“It’s something I can do,” Aether remarks, watching Ember’s hands roam over his body as if it were new to him. “Touch makes it go faster but isn’t necessary.” He wiggles his fingers, a gentle glow surrounding them and then there’s the prickling, this time on Ember’s bottom lip. A small cut from Fire’s teeth heals almost instantly, and he runs his tongue over it in fascination. A feeling for the quintessence ghoul wells up, something warm, syrupy, and overcomplicated that he smothers quickly, afraid of putting words to it.

He hears Aether shuffle about and then something soft drapes over him; upon inspection he determines it to be a spare blanket. Its then that Ember finally noticed that he’s been nude this entire time, with Aether kneeling practically right in front of his crotch.

“Thank you,” he mumbles into the cloth, “for everything.”

“No, don’t.” The bigger ghoul shakes his head, eyes alight with shame as he looks away from Ember’s face. “This wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been an asshole earlier. I should have known better.”

“What do you mean,” Ember asks quietly.

“I know better than to provoke a fire ghoul like that, I could have handled the situation differently but… but I didn’t and I don’t know why. And now you’ve paid the price for my callousness.” Aether runs a hand over his face, sucking in a shaky breath. “Can you forgive me, Water?”

Ember stares at Aether in disbelief, heart pounding as he looks into Aether’s pleading eyes. He opens his mouth to reply when there’s a commotion on the other side of the divider curtain; they can hear the thud of heavy footsteps and the curtain sways but does not open.

“Em, uhm, Water,” comes a worried voice from the other side of the curtain, “Fuck, are, are you… goddamnit.”

“Fire?” They watch as the curtain twitches violently but doesn’t otherwise move.

“Can I… can I come in?” The fire ghoul’s voice is subdued, and Aether stands to go send him away. Ember catches the edge of his cassock, pulling gently to get his attention, shaking his head for Aether to stay and let Fire join them. He settles back down on the floor by Ember’s feet as the small ghoul calls out to their brother.

“Y-yeah.” After a moment the curtain is pushed aside, warm light cascading inside and making Ember put a hand out to block it from his eyes till they adjust. After blinking a few times he can see Fire as he crouches a few feet away, as if afraid to come any closer.

“You’re alright.” The guitarist’s shoulders slump in relief as he breathes out a held-in breath. There’s a couple of red lines etched across the left side of his face and he’s dressed in a pair of pajama pants and an old t-shirt. Ember’s heart clenches at the panic that has Fire almost panting, brow furrowed as his eyes dart up and down Ember’s form, and at the bandages wound around his arms starting to stain red in patches.

Ember silently reaches a hand out to the fire ghoul, who looks at it bewilderedly and flicks his eyes back to Ember’s as if asking permission. Ember nods faintly and Fire scoots forward to take his hand gingerly, bringing it to his lips and pressing a kiss to Ember’s palm. Ember slides fingers over the sharp lines of Fire’s cheekbones, rubbing his thumb along the base of a horn. Fire trembles lightly under his hand and makes a quiet sound, words failing the fire ghoul for the first time in memory. Ember shifts, moving to the floor gingerly till he can wrap himself around the guitarist, Fire choking back a quiet sob as he buries his face in Embers hair.

Neither ghoul notices the divider curtain pull closed, Aether leaving the two ghouls to seek solace together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhm.  
> *shrugs*


	5. Domestic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ember meets his new fellow band members.  
> And gets hit in the face with a dildo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, have a chapter that's disgustingly domestic. There is practically no porn in this one, I'm sorry. Forgive me? (Next chapter is porn though, just to let you know. In case you were wondering.)  
> Also! Era IV ghouls!! Tags have been updated to add them in.  
> And one last thing: updates might take longer, as the fall semester started today and I'm going to actually try and not procrastinate on anything (I mean, no promises there, I'm good at last minute panic bullshit).

It’s been two weeks since the band had returned to Castle Lincopia, the ghouls all quiet and reserved since the events of the last show. They had all gone their separate ways once back at the church, though Fire managed to corner him after mass a few times. Their last meeting was a week ago, and a fog of boredom and listlessness had settled over him since.

Ember’s phone chimes on his nightstand, the sound barely heard over the twang of guitar strings. He sighs and sets the instrument aside, stretching to reach the phone without leaving his bed. His claws click against the glass as he unlocks it and opens the message: a text from one of the generic accounts the clergy use.

“Weird,” he mumbles, reading the message quickly.

_Ghoul, your presence is required this afternoon at 3:00 in meeting room 2. Do not be late._

His curiosity is piqued, though he had been enjoying his rare day of freedom. Glancing at the time he decides he has enough time for a shower; if the clergy was summoning him they would expect him to at least be presentable.

\--

The room is empty of people when Ember arrives, though rows of chairs had been laid out in front of a lectern. He'd never been in this part of the old castle and had stepped out to check the door plate, confirming that he was at the right place. He picks a seat in the middle and settles down, pulling out his phone and flipping through apps to pass the time.

“Oh, you got one too,” a cheery voice asks. Looking up from his phone he's greeted by Earth, who waves from his seat at the front. “It’s Ember, right?”

“Yeah,” Ember replies slowly and Earth beams at him.

“I overheard you telling Fire on the bus that one night,” the drummer sheepishly explains. Ember merely nods and they lapse into awkward silence. He goes back to his phone, occupying himself with a puzzle game. Completely engrossed he doesn’t notice the other ghouls joining them till a hand comes to rest on his shoulder. He jerks away from the contact and readies a scowl, only to find Aether next to him; even with the mask obscuring his face Ember can tell the big ghoul is smiling at him. It’s been two weeks since they had all returned to the church and he hadn’t seen the quintessence ghoul since, giving him a small hope that the crush he’d had for Aether had since faded. The way his heart leaps at the touch and that smile tells him otherwise.

“Water, I’m glad to-“

“Not Water,” Ember interrupts, the weird feeling in his chest that settles there every time he’s close to Aether beginning to irritate him, shortening his temper.

“Not, um, what?” Aether stumbles, confusion written across his body language.

“My name is Ember,” he huffs; being flippant giving him an odd bit of joy.

“You’re… a fire ghoul?” Ember rolls his eyes and gives Aether the finger, a tiny flame igniting from the tip of the outstretched digit for emphasis.

“It’s ah, a nice name,” Aether adds, lamely. He settles into the seat next to the fire ghoul, awkward as if they hadn’t spent the past year together on tour. Ember huffs and ignores the quintessence ghoul, returning to his phone and acting content to scroll through galleries of cat photos. Aether eventually sighs and leaves, going instead to talk to a new ghoul sitting in the back of the room.

“Oh, aren’t you delightful,” a voice coos, snapping Ember out of his thoughts. The voice belongs to a large, curvy ghoulette leaning over the back of the chair in front of him. “Glad to see we got a prickly fire ghoul.”

“Excuse me?” Ember narrows his eyes at her, temper beginning to flare. She tosses her head back and laughs before holding out a hand.

“I’m Zephyr,” she introduces herself as they shake hands. “I’ve never seen someone throw off Aether so easily, he’s usually unflappable.” Ember blinks slowly, not bothering to explain himself to someone he just met when another ghoulette joins her.

She’s taller than Zephyr and almost as curvy, her body language timid as she gives him a little wave, which Ember can’t help but return.

“There you are, doll, I was wondering where you’d gotten to,” Zephyr purrs, snaking a hand around the other female’s waist and pulling her close, tapping the front of her mask to the taller ghoulette’s in an affectionate gesture. “This is Ember,” she holds her hand out at him, then motions back at the ghoulette. “Ember, this little minx is Mistral.”

“Hello.” Mistral’s voice is quiet, at odds with the boisterous Zephyr.

“Hi,” Ember adds lamely and Zephyr giggles.

“I’m gonna go talk to the other ghouls, you kids have fun and get to know each other,” she says, wiggling her fingers at them before wandering away, leaving Ember to stare after her.

“You… like cats,” Mistral asks, and Ember turns to her looking confused. She nods at his phone where animated clips of a cat jumping into boxes plays silently.

“Oh, um, yeah,” he mumbles, hurriedly tapping at the screen to close the app.

“Me, too.” Mistral sits a seat over from him, her face lighting up at his response. She takes her own phone out, and he spies little metallic paw prints and cat faces decorating the case. They end up leaning close, sharing photos of cats they had both collected.

“Ahem,” a voice calls from the lectern, grabbing their attention. Sister Imperator regarded the ghouls coolly before giving them a small smile.

“Ghouls,” she addresses them, sharp gaze alighting on each of them, “You all have been chosen for the next step in the Ghost project. A few of you are already familiar with this,” she nods at Earth, Ember, and Aether, “While the others are new to it. Things are going to be a bit… _different_ , from now on. We will fill in those details at a later time; for now be focused that you will all be playing on stage during the rituals.”

Ember cocks his head in interest; two extra musicians on stage was an interesting change and he wondered what the others would be doing.

“In light of the project’s success, you all will be allowed certain privileges, one of which is moving you to better living quarters. You will be shown them later and will be expected to move your things into them tomorrow. Also, since you will all be soon busy with costume fittings and rehearsals, you have been dismissed from any other duties the clergy has assigned you.”

A ghoul Ember had not been introduced to yet to his left gives a quiet cheer before shrinking away from the glare Sister Imperator levels at him.

“However,” she continues, demeanor becoming steely, “that does not mean you can be lazy. The clergy expects the best from you and will accept nothing less. If your work is unacceptable you will be replaced.”

The threat hangs heavy over the ghouls; Papa III being dragged bodily from the stage still fresh in their minds.

“And one last thing,” Sister adds, locking her gaze on Ember, “If any of you are caught giving brimstone to a human, clergy or otherwise, for any reason, punishment will be swift, and it will be severe. Am I understood?”

“Yes, Sister,” the ghouls answer in chorus, sufficiently cowed by Sister’s threat. Ember has the distinct feeling he now knows where Fire has been for the last week; he’d not thought to check the dungeons, though from Sister Imperator’s tone he’s not sure he wants to see what shape the fire ghoul is in. He’ll try and find Fire later, first he needed to pack his things.

\--

Moving doesn’t take long at all. Ghouls were never allowed much in the way of possessions, and all Ember had to his name were his phone, clothes, a guitar and bass (which were church-issued and technically not even his), and a small box of knickknacks he’d accumulated on the tour. He arrived at the location he’d been texted this morning, carrying over his guitars and trinket box first; he’d go back for his clothes later.

He was, again, the first to arrive. It seemed to be an old apartment-style wing of the church-castle complex that had initially been renovated for what he imagines was housing some of the human clergy, though from the slightly musty smell it had been awhile since it had seen use. It consisted of a large common room with some old chairs, a couch, an empty bookshelf, a few mismatched side tables, and a dining table with chairs, all coated with a thin veil of dust. There was a kitchen tucked away to the side equipped with older appliances of questionable working ability. Straight ahead through the common area was a hallway lined with doors, eight all in total, four to each side.

It seemed as if they were all going to be sharing the space together, with each ghoul having their own room. He picks one, the second on the right of the hall, using his tail to twist the doorknob and push the door open with a shoulder. The room is easily three times the size of the small cell he’d previously occupied. There’s a bed, much larger and nicer looking than his old one, a desk with a chair, a nightstand and an empty bookcase against a wall. A small door at one end reveals a small closet, the one on the other end opening up to a bathroom with a sink and toilet. Another door leads to a bathtub that’s shared with the room next to his. Ember gives a low whistle: goodbye communal showers. He can only hope the hot water heater here is better than in the communal baths, which were wont to give out at any given time.

“Whoa, look at it,” a voice calls out in wonder from the common room. Ember drops his things to the bed and heads back into the hallway to greet his bandmates. Zephyr and Mistral were each pulling a rolling suitcase behind them as they wandered in; the two ghoulettes wave when they see him. There’s a tall ghoul marveling at the kitchen and Ember assumes he’s the one owner of the voice he’d heard a moment ago.

“We get our own kitchen, this is awesome,” he comments to himself, then startles once he notices Ember watching him. There’s a peculiarity to him that Ember picks up on quickly: the nervousness and quick submission of a ghoul who hasn’t long been on the surface. Ember remembers the feeling acutely, himself only having been here for a little under two years and loosens his posture to try and put the newcomer at ease.

“Didn’t mean to startle you.” Ember wishes they weren’t wearing their masks, not being able to see faces made things harder than they should be. He’d become overly-used to the band’s blatant disregard for the rules when it suited them.

“No, no, it’s fine. I’m Rain,” the ghoul introduces himself, hanging his head slightly to keep downcast eyes on the floor.

 _Ah, water ghoul, makes sense_ , Ember thinks to himself. “I’m Ember. Nice to meet you.” An awkward silence descends but is thankfully broken by the door opening as Earth and Aether both enter. Ember waves to them both before wandering over to the couch and flopping onto the cushions. A cloud of dust puffs up and he sneezes.

“Looks like we’ll need to do a bit of cleaning,” Aether remarks, running a finger through the dust covering a side table. Ember makes a disinterested sound, pointedly ignoring the quintessence ghoul and instead checking out the shape of the rest of the furniture. There’s a table that looks sturdy enough to hold a television, if they manage to find one.

“Blaze,” the water ghoul chirps in delight, as the last of their band joins them in the apartment. He’s the other ghoul Ember had not been introduced to, who was sitting in the back of the room during the meeting. He carried a large duffle bag and a guitar case slung over his shoulders, pausing to wave at Rain in greeting before heading down the hallway to take his pick of the rooms.

“Do you need help getting any other stuff,” Ember asks the submissive ghoul, eyeing the small box on the table near him.

“Oh, um, no. This is it,” Rain mumbles, taking hold of his box and holding it close. There couldn’t have been more than just a few changes of clothes inside, a meager amount of possessions. Ember feels a twinge of pity for Rain; perhaps he could find him a small trinket if they were ever let out from the church grounds. Rain beats a hasty retreat, fleeing the uncomfortable silence that hovers when the conversation dies, checking the rooms till he finds one that is unoccupied. Ember rubs at the back of his neck before leaving to move the rest of his things.

There would be plenty of time to mingle and get used to each other later.

\--

Ember wakes to a quiet beeping; his phone’s alarm going off, signaling that dinner would be in an hour and a half. He sits up, yawning and stretching as he shakes off the clinging tendrils of sleep from his nap. He runs a hand through his sleep tousled hair, gently working through the few knots before wandering out to the common room. Now that the novelty of the new place has worn off it seems sad and barren in its lack of personality and decoration, weighing oddly heavy on his consciousness. He returns to his room to find the case with his stash of brimstone cigarettes, scooping it up and heading outside for a smoke.

The sun is setting, casting a golden-orange glow across the landscape and painting the dark façade of the old castle in stark relief. Ember pulls one of the cigarettes from its case, holding it between his lips as he snaps a small flame to life in his right hand. He holds the flame to the end of the cigarette, inhaling as the brimstone-laced tobacco catches the flame, tip glowing cherry red with the heat. He holds the breath in, the first hit of acrid smoke almost making him cough, slowly letting it curl out from his parted lips. The brimstone calm settles over him, wrapping everything in a shallow layer of fuzz, easing out the tension coiled in his neck that he didn’t even notice he was carrying.

“Hey.” There’s a light tap on his shoulder as Aether joins him, the weird feelings that seem to follow in the wake of the big ghoul drowned out in the quiet bliss of brimstone. He waves and tracks Aether with half-lidded eyes, drinking in the sight of his larger frame stretching the tight lines of his cassock.

“You’ve forgotten your mask,” Aether chides him gently, smiling to take the bite out of the reprimand.

“Oops.” Ember shrugs, blowing a ring of smoke and watching it waft away on the breeze.

“I’m curious, why were you running around as a water ghoul during the tour,” Aether asks, watching the smoke rise and curl from Ember’s mouth and nose as if transfixed by the wispy strands.

“Papa made me.”

“Oh.” Aether looks down at his feet, even with his mask hiding his face Ember can practically feel the guilt that settles over the quintessence ghoul. “I… didn’t know, I’m sorry. I could’ve, I don’t know, done something.”

Ember shrugs; it was done and over with now that they were back home. Not to mention Papa III was hidden away somewhere; he hadn’t been seen since he’d been drug off stage. Ember can’t find it anywhere in him to care through the drugged haze.

“You apologize too much,” he murmurs, tilting his head back and to the side to gaze at Aether. He’s nearly overwhelmed by the sudden desire to pull Aether close, lift his mask and press their lips together in a slow kiss, to revel in the taste of him that he can barely remember from an alcohol fogged memory. The brimstone makes it much easier to push the feeling aside, and instead he plucks the half-smoked cigarette from his mouth with two fingers, holding it out in a silent offering. Aether looks at it for a moment before shaking his head, watching as Ember returns it to his lips.

“We should head back. We were all going to talk and get to know each other,” Aether says, glancing at the clock on his phone.

 _I’d rather just drop to my knees and shove your cock down my throat till I choke,_ Ember thinks.

“Yeah, okay,” he says instead, taking one last deep drag of the cigarette. He crumples it in his fist, pooling fire in his palm so that when he opens it the cigarette is nothing but ash that he brushes off. They walk back inside side by side, Aether keeping his longer gait slower to keep Ember form having to chase after him. Once back at the apartment Aether shucks his mask and balaclava, setting them down on an empty shelf before heading over to the table where the other ghouls have assembled, all sans masks.

“You found him,” the ghoulette who could only be Zephyr exclaims, flashing a toothy grin at the two ghouls as they each take a seat. She has bleached blond hair that hangs as a mass of loose curls; they bounce merrily as she moves.

“So, how did we want to go about this,” Aether asks the group. Before anyone can say anything Zephyr bounces to her feet with a wave of her arms.

“Here, I’ll go first! Hi everyone,” she announces, beaming, “I’m Zephyr! I like sweets, my favorite color is cerulean, and Mistral is my girlfriend so touch her and I’ll kill you slowly.”

“I’m Mistral.” The other ghoulette stands once Zephyr flops back into her seat, her straight black hair falling in front of her face as she stares at the tabletop. “I make Zephyr’s sweets, and I like cats.” She quickly sits back down, hands clutching at the hem of her cassock, eyes still glued to the table. Zephyr coos and wraps and arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to peck a kiss to her cheek.

“Hi, I’m, ah, I’m Rain,” the next ghoul mumbles, almost as shy as Mistral. His hair is pitch black and cut short, eyes the color of cobalt. “I, um… I like puzzles.”

“I’m Blaze.” The tan-skinned ghoul doesn’t add anything else, content to stay leaning back in his chair.

“Hey guys I’m Earth,” the cheerful drummer chirps, beaming at everyone. “I play drums and like video games!”

“Games,” Rain asks, head tilted in confusion.

“Like the ones on your phone.”

“It has… games?” Rain pokes at his cellphone with a claw, his unfamiliarity with the device showing.

“I’ll show you later,’ Earth promises the water ghoul.

“Hi, I’m Aether and-“

“We all know who you are,” Zephyr giggles. Aether laughs and sits back down with a shrug. He nudges at Ember with an elbow, motioning toward the group with his head when the fire ghoul gives him a blank look.

“Oh, um,” he’d let his mind wander, the brimstone still coiled languid and sweet in his bones. “I, ah, I’m Ember.”

“Someone’s blitzed on brimstone,” Zephyr singsongs, prompting a few quiet laughs from the other ghouls.

“Am not,” Ember mumbles, remembering why he usually doesn’t partake of the drug often, as it seemed to affect him more than most ghouls. He folds his arms on the table and rests his chin on them, watching the group as they all start chattering together.

 _This must be what family is like,_ his drug-addled brain thinks, and he smiles gently, tail swishing back and forth in contentment.

\--

“Hey, Ember.” Earth pokes his head into the fire ghoul’s room, practically bouncing on his feet in excitement. “Sister said we could all go into town today! Want to join?”

“Sure.” Ember hopes getting away from the old castle will help. His head feels as if stuffed with cotton, a dull ache occasionally surfacing in his temples. It’s not terrible enough for him to go to the infirmary yet, and he figures going out couldn’t possibly make it worse. And, he was keen to find something to decorate his empty room with. He changes out of his cassock into a soft t-shirt and jeans, standing in front of the mirror as he casts a glamor to hide his ghoulish features. It takes longer than usual, the magic feeling oddly slippery, sliding away as he tries to concentrate it to hide his horns. By the time it finally snaps into place the dull ache in his head has sharpened to a throbbing behind his eyes. He’s not about to let it ruin his free day and grabs for the bottle of painkillers in his bathroom, dry swallowing a couple before heading out the door.

The other ghouls have assembled in the common room, all dressed in clothing to help them mingle with the human population of the city. Rain’s clothes are a little baggy, obvious he has borrowed them from one of the other ghouls, and he has an expression of equal parts excitement and terror on his face.

“First time from the castle,” Ember asks him and he nods hesitantly. Ember gives what he hopes is an encouraging smile, remembering his first time out among the human populace. “You’ll like it, I think.”

“Alright, Sister Imperator has given us each an allowance of spending money, do any of you have a wallet,” Aether asks the group, handing an envelope to Blaze when he nods. “Okay, well since the rest of you don’t I’ll hold onto it for you till you find something you want. Don’t want you to accidentally lose it.”

Ember snickers, remembering a scene from the beginning of the tour: Fire misplacing the pocket money Papa had handed out to the ghouls and having to convince the other ghouls to cover his bar tab. They’d given him shit for weeks afterwards, and he was never allowed to hold onto money since.

“If we’re all ready, lets head out. We’ll be walking, some exercise will do us some good.” Rain makes a quiet whine but allows himself to be pulled outside as Blaze wraps an arm around his shoulders.

“Where’s the girls,” Earth asks as they walk down the road leading to the church.

“They went down early, Zephyr said she had a list to work on and needed the extra time,” Aether replies, hooking thumbs in the pockets of his jeans. Ember walks just behind the larger ghoul, surreptitiously admiring how the denim emphasizes the rounded muscles of his ass. The headache has finally begun to abate, allowing him to enjoy the walk. The sky is a brilliant blue with large, puffy white clouds, the air crisp but still warm.

Once in the city Blaze peels off from the group, waving as he darts off on his own, leaving Aether to watch over the other ghouls. They follow the quintessence ghoul through foot traffic and across streets, like a trio of ducklings trail their mother in a pond. He eventually leads them into a huge building, full of people and all kinds of items.

“Woah,” Rain gasps, eyes big as saucers as he takes it all in. Earth loops their arms together and drags him off into the store, Aether trailing after. Ember wanders off in a different direction, browsing the shelves of goods. The sheer amount of stuff is almost overwhelming, half the things he can’t even think of a use for.

 _Humans buy some weird shit,_ he thinks, trying to make sense of an oddly shaped basket filled with what he finds out to be fake fruit. Wandering further into the store he finds himself in an aisle filled with books and he perks up, hoping to find something to fill his empty bookcase with. There’s all kinds of books, though a large one catches his eye. It’s heavy and the pages thick and glossy, some kind of encyclopedia on guitars, and he tucks it under his arm. He spies a shelf full of the cheap romance novels Earth enjoyed and pointedly skirts away from them, eyes flitting across the printed covers till something pops out at him. Sadly, nothing else turns out to be interesting and he continues wandering till he finds a section of the store selling music CDs. Curiosity takes hold as he searches around till he finds a particular album, picking it up and turning it in his hands.

 _Would it be considered weird if I bought my own band’s music,_ he wonders, tapping his foot as he contemplates the conundrum. He eventually shrugs and tucks it with the book, turning to look through more of the CDs before a thought occurs to him: _how much money did he have to spend, anyway? Aether hadn’t mentioned…_

Ember decides it best to go hunt the quintessence ghoul down and ask before he collects more things. He doesn’t get far when he hears two familiar voices and heads in their direction. Down another aisle he comes across Earth and Rain, the two ghouls engaged in a heated discussion.

“What are you two going on about,” Ember asks and the two ghouls turn to face him.

“We’re having a small disagreement,” Earth mutters and Rain rolls his eyes. “Maybe you could help.”

“Uh.” Ember has no idea what’s going on, but the earth ghoul and water ghoul both nod and practically pounce on him.

“I think we should get an Xbox,” Earth says, pointing at a sleek white rectangular box. “It’s clearly the better console.”

“And I think we should get, uh, this,” Rain points at another fancy looking rectangle, this one black with glowing blue lights. He squints at a sign tacked near it, “It’s a, playstation… 4? Yeah, that. It has more games than the other one, so it’s better.”

“Just because there are more games doesn’t mean they’re better!”

“It looks cooler than your Xbox!”

Ember stands, utterly confused. He doesn’t even know what either thing actually is.

“Have either of you seen Aether,” he asks, skirting away from trying to make a horribly uninformed decision.

“Not since we got here,” Earth says, then crosses his arms in front of his chest as he looks at Ember expectantly. “Well? Which would you pick?”

“Um…”

“Yeah,” Rain chimes in, glancing sideways at Earth before mimicking his posture. “Which one?”

Ember turns on his heel and flees.

\--

An hour or so later the four ghouls are wandering down the streets, chattering together about their current purchases. Aether had apparently put an end to Earth and Rain’s argument by calmly informing them they did not have enough money for either of the gaming consoles they were fighting over. The pair had been disappointed but soon forgot about it entirely as they found other things to spend their money on.

The afternoon sun glinted in his eyes as the headache returned, the throbbing spiking sharp as he squints through the bright sunlight. _He knew he should have bought that pair of sunglasses he’d seen in the last shop they’d gone through._

“Hey guys, I’m going to head back,” Ember tells the group, and they all stop to look him over.

“Everything alright,” Aether asks, overly concerned as always.

“Just my head, I’m going to go take something and have a nap,” he mumbles, rubbing at his temple. Dropping the glamour would also help, the strain of keeping it up was beginning to fatigue him.

“Okay, well I hope you feel better.” Aether waves, the other ghouls telling him to go rest as he turns away, heading back to the castle. The walk seems to take twice as long than it did earlier; by the time Ember reached the grounds his head was swimming and he felt nauseous. The bag with his purchases, the book, CD, and some new clothes, felt heavier than it should, almost dragging him to the ground in an effort to carry it. Somehow, he managed to make it back to the apartment the ghouls all shared, nearly falling over when he shoulders his way in through the door.

A wave of vertigo washes over him when he enters the hall and he grasps at the wall till it fades, leaving him disoriented. He tries desperately to remember which door was to his own room, everything blurry as he stumbles to the second door on the left and manages to work the doorknob to let himself in.

Ember blinks in confusion as his mind tries to take in the surroundings, eyes turning to the bed.

 _This isn’t my room_ , he mind supplies unhelpfully as he catches sight of Mistral stretched out naked on top of the covers, Zephyr’s head buried between her legs. Her dark eyes land on him and she blinks as she becomes aware of his presence.

“Ack,” he croaks, flabbergasted.

She shrieks, reaching out a hand and closing it on the first object she touches and throws it at Ember with all the force she can muster. The thing is a purple streak through the air and slaps across his face, being both hard and flexible, before flopping to the ground.

“M’Sorry,” Ember sputters, hands flailing to bat away any other items thrown at his head as he stumbles, falling back into the hall. The door slams shut as he flings himself across the hallway, pawing at the door to his own room. The doorknob eventually gives under his shaking hands, dumping the stricken ghoul to the floor to crawl inside gracelessly. He leaves his bag where it falls in the middle of the floor as he claws his way across the carpet into the bathroom, curling up around the cold porcelain of the toilet as he stomach roils. It feels like an eternity before it calms, leaving him panting and trembling.

There’s a quiet knock from the other room, followed by a voice, “Ember?” Zephyr’s head pokes into the doorway, blond curls an absolute mess. The scowl on her face fades as she takes in the sad state of the fire ghoul.

“Wow, you look bad,” she murmurs, rifling through the cabinet to pull out a washcloth. She soaks it in water then wrings it out, using it to dab at the dried sweat on his forehead. “Should I get one of the sisters?”

“Just a… migraine,” he mumbles, throat dry and scratchy. The cool cloth felt wonderful on his face and he makes a quiet sound.

“Do you, uh, want to stay down there? Or can I help you to your bed,” she asks. Ember has to actively think about the choice; while the tile and porcelain were wonderfully cold, the ground was hard and would absolutely kill his back later.

“Bed,” he manages, stumbling as Zephyr helps him up and guides him to his bed. He falls boneless onto the covers, closing his eyes as another wave of dizziness makes everything wobble about. Zephyr murmurs something, he can’t make out the words but the tone is soothing, as she pulls off his shoes and drags his legs up onto the bed. She tucks a pillow under his head and works the blinds over the window to try and shut out as much light as possible.

“Get some rest, I’ll scold you later,” she promises, patting his cheek before closing the door behind her, dropping the room into near darkness.

\--

“Hey everyone,” Aether calls as the rest of the group returns from their day out, “We brought back pizza.”

“And booze,” Earth shouts gleefully.

An hour or two of sleep had chased the migraine away, his head finally feeling as if it weren’t about to explode anymore. He had stayed curled up on the bed, content to just enjoy the stillness of the room. Ember yawns then rolls off the bed, padding into the living area where a couple of pizza boxes and a case of beer now decorated the dining table. The ghouls all jostle around till they each have a seat, grabbing pieces of pizza and cracking open beer bottles.  
“Ember.” There’s a tug at his sleeve and he looks over to see Mistral standing next to his chair, a serious look on her face.

“I want apologize,” Mistral announces, “for hitting you in the face with a dildo.”

The ghouls at the table all fall silent and Ember chokes, spitting beer.

“Oh, honey,” Zephyr sighs, slapping a palm to her face.

“You said I should apologize,” the tall ghoulette says, head cocked at her partner’s reaction.

“Yes, but not in front of everyone.”

“Why not?”

“Here, just… sit down, they brought you back one with pineapple.” Zephyr pulls Mistral into a chair before sliding her a paper plate with a piece of ham and pineapple pizza.

“Do… we want to know,” Earth asks hesitantly.

“No,” Ember and Zephyr bark simultaneously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to drop by my tumblr, https://asalade.tumblr.com  
> I reblog tons of Ghost shit, and some Avatar.


	6. Snapshots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ghouls get a gift, jello is weird but good, Rain has some dubious means of procuring money, Mistral throws a party, and Rain makes some terrible decisions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back by popular demand, more domestic ghouls! A shorter one, but hopefully enjoyable?  
> Mostly fluff and silliness; this hasn't been a great week and I've had to keep myself from falling into a depressive state and writing things that are just genuinely all around terrible. This has helped, I think.

“Ghouls,” Sister Imperator greets the assembled group, giving them a small smile. “I hope you have all settled in together and that practice has been going well. We’ll begin fitting you for new stage clothes starting this afternoon. First, however, I have brought you all a little something.”

She motions to the table next to her, on which rested a series of seven black boxes. Each box had an alchemical symbol written upon it. The ghouls each pick a box with their matching symbol, curious but also just a little apprehensive under Sister’s gaze.

“Oh,” Zephyr exclaims, being the first to open their box. She lifts the gleaming silver mask from its packing, admiring the reflective surface and the gentle curves. It’s very similar to their old masks, the major exception being the removal of the long, pointed chin.

“Thank you, Sister,” Aether says, and the other ghouls mumble their own thanks in quick succession.

“It’s weird, I don’t like it,” Rain grumbles quietly; he happened to quite like his old mask.

“Ladies, Aether, Blaze, you four will be singing backup vocals this tour, hence the change in masks,” Sister Imperator remarks, noting the curiosity that small fact has sparked among the ghouls. “And, if all goes well, our new leader will be joining us soon. Now, shoo, you’ve all much work to do.”

She motions the group off, watching them all closely as they had back to their practicing.

\--

Ember and Zephyr were sitting at the dining room table, Mistral stirring a pot on the stove, when the apartment door crashes open, slamming against the wall in a loud bang. Earth and Rain shuffle in, carrying a large box between the two of them.

“What was that,” Aether calls from back in his room, poking his head out into the hallway.

“Uh,” Ember shrugs, watching the two taller ghouls wrangle the seemingly heavy and awkward item into the apartment.

“Don’t worry, we got this, don’t need any help at all,” Earth mumbles sarcastically as they finally set the thing on the floor in the middle of the common room. They attack the taped ends with claws, shredding cardboard and plastic packaging in their haste to unpack their new acquisition. Aether ventures from his room, curious to see what the two ghouls were up to.

“Is that a—”

“Before you ask,” Earth interrupts, holding his hand up after they set the large flat screen TV on the table, “We did NOT steal it.”

“Totally legitimate means of procurement,” Rain adds, nodding enthusiastically.

“Oh Lucifer,” Aether mutters, scrubbing his hands over his face, “What did you two do to get that?”

“We paid for it!”

“With what money? You spent all your pocket money Sister gave you two weeks ago!”

“Well, you see—”

“I got hit by a car,” Rain announces, pulling his shirt up to show off large swaths of road rash and bruises blooming across his skin. “See? It was so cool!”

“And the guy freaked out and threw a wad of money at us and begged us not to call the police so we were like, yeah, okay, thanks. Rain’s fine anyways, just some cuts and bruises!” Earth grins, and the two share a fist bump.

“You were… hit by a… a CAR?!” Aether gawks at Rain before rushing to him, grasping his face with both hands.

“Ack,” chirps Rain, shivering as a flood of cold healing power rushes through his body from Aether’s fingertips. “Oh, that’s _weird_.”

“Is that better now? Please do not do that again, what if you had been seriously hurt,” Aether scolds, peeling Rain’s shirt off to check the water ghoul for other injuries.

“You’d have fixed him,” Earth mumbles, flipping through the TV manual.

“That’s not the point! Wait,” Aether stops his examination of Rain’s body, fingers stilled as they were trying to pull his jeans down to check his legs. “Why were you somewhere you could get hit by a car?!”

Earth and Rain are silent, then simultaneously point at the other ghoul and quickly say “It was his idea.”

“Why are you stripping Rain in the living room,” Blaze asks, leaning in the doorway as he absorbs the odd scene he’d come back to. “And where did that TV come from?”

Aether sighs as he releases Rain and steps away, scrubbing a palm over his face.

“I’m making jello, what flavor do you want,” Mistral asks from the kitchen, setting out a couple of glass dishes and going through the assortment of boxes from a grocery bag.

“Oh, can we make jello shots,” Earth asks, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“NO,” Aether shouts, already at his limit for the day without adding alcohol into the mix.

“Awww,” Earth deflates, going back to messing with the TV.

“I want red,” Ember answers Mistral, who nods and sets two boxes out.

“I like blue,” Rain says, not sure what jello is or what the color means, yet still determined to be included. Mistral takes out one last box and stows the rest away in a cabinet.

“So, about that TV,” Blaze says, closing the door and crossing his arms over his chest, giving Earth and Rain both a stern look.

\--

Ember sighs and pulls the headphones from his ears, tossing them to the bed and flicking the power off on the small amp. He’d convinced one of the brothers to let him borrow it so he could practice in his bedroom, after having woken up in the middle of the night with the itch to play making his fingers twitch a week after they had started practicing the new music. His phone tells him it’s near one in the morning, the apartment dark and quiet as the other ghouls are no doubt sleeping. His stomach rumbles quietly, reminding him that he had only picked at his dinner some hours earlier. He remembers the grocery bags Mistral and Zephyr had brought home earlier in the day and decides to go rummaging through their kitchen for something to snack on.

There’s a dim light on when he gets there, seeing one of the other ghoul’s silhouettes in the darkness. Upon entering the kitchen he finds Rain standing, staring transfixed at the open refrigerator before him.

“It… it wobbles,” the water ghoul whispers, then turns his wide blue eyes to Ember. “Why does it wobble?”

Ember peers into the refrigerator around the tall ghoul, finding three dishes on the top shelf, each filled with a different color: one is red, one green, and the last one blue.

“That’s the jello that Mistral made us,” Ember says, then the bright colors bring up a memory. “Oh, wait here a moment.”

He scampers back to his bedroom, rifling through the drawer of his desk to find a box wrapped up in a couple of plastic shopping bags. He grabs it and returns to the kitchen, turning on a small lamp to give them better illumination than that of the refrigerator lights.

“Here, I got this for you when we were last in town,” he hands the small package to Rain, who stares at it with wide eyes.

“For… me?” Rain’s eyes flick back and forth from Ember to the package, as if uncertain he was allowed such a thing.

“Yeah. Go ahead.” Ember gives him a gentle smile, nodding for him to open the present. Rain unfolds the layers of crinkly plastic with exaggerated care, taking special attention not to tear anything with his claws till he extracts the box inside. Ember takes the bags, adding them to a container of other plastic bags to be reused under the sink as Rain turns the box in his hands, marveling at the object.

“It’s a Rubik’s cube, you try to match all the colors on each side by moving the rows and columns,” Ember explains, helping Rain open the box and pull the cube out. The water ghoul’s eyes manage to get even wider as he tilts the object back and forth, gingerly moving the blocks around in wonder. “You mentioned you liked puzzles; I saw it and thought of you.”

“And… and it’s mine,” he asks, voice barely a whisper. Ember nods and Rain’s eyes shimmer wetly in the light.

 “I… I’ve never gotten a, a gift before. Thank you,” Rain mumbles, setting the puzzle aside gently before going to his knees, wrapping his arms around Ember’s middle and pressing his face to the fire ghoul’s shirt. The water ghoul quakes slightly as he’s overcome with a cascade of emotions, a quiet noise curling from his throat. Ember stiffens when the arms first encircle him, relaxing when Rain nuzzles his face to his stomach. His dominant nature rises like a beast woken from sleep, slow and languid as it takes in the ghoul kneeling supplicant before him. The primal need to both protect and claim the submissive water ghoul as his own burns bright and hot, though Ember shutters it away quickly. Instead of shoving Rain to the floor and mark every inch of his skin as _his, mine_ , he pets at the short black hair gently.

“Want some jello,” Ember asks, fully aware at how awkward it sounded but needing something to distract his mind from its depraved thoughts concerning Rain. The water ghoul seems to gather himself back together and detaches himself from Ember, still moving as if worried Ember would hurt him. The watery, downcast eyes make something twist in his gut, and Ember leans forward to press a quick kiss to Rain’s cheek before grabbing a couple of bowls from a cabinet and a pair of spoons. Going back to the refrigerator he scoops a small amount of each of the three flavors of jello into the bowls, taking them back to the table and handing one to Rain.

“I’ve never seen food like this,” Rain says, shaking his bowl to watch the jello shake and wobble. “What does it taste like?”

“It’s good, sweet. Try it,” Ember says, scooping some of the red gelatin into his mouth. The flavor is bright and sweet, yet tart; an artificial cherry. Rain raises a spoonful, sniffing at it before putting it in his mouth. His head tilts back and forth as he experiences the flavor and texture, perking up as he finds he likes it.

“It’s good,” he mumbles before shoveling more into his mouth, enjoying the way it feels against his tongue.

“You’ll get to try all kinds of things when we’re on tour,” Ember mentions as he quickly finishes his own bowl. The sugar bleeds life back into his veins and mention of the tour has his fingers itching for guitar strings and pick. He goes and places his dishes in the sink, stopping to give Rain a smile as the water ghoul tries to turn the rows on the Rubik’s cube with one hand while spooning jello into his mouth with the other.

\--

“You two,” Mistral exclaims, her oddly penetrating gaze falling on Aether and Earth. They both go still, heads turning fractionally in her direction. “I need your help.”

“Uh, sure, little sister. What do you need,” Aether asks, recovering first.

“I need you to find a way to keep Zephyr away from the apartment tomorrow till the evening,” she announces, and Ember gives Earth a sidelong glance; what was the tall ghoulette up to?

“Uh, why,” Earth asks. Mistral is silent for a few moments; the three ghouls could practically see her mulling over her words before she speaks them.

“I want to throw her a summoning day party,” she says, and Aether beams at her.

“Oh, that’s sweet of you. Sure, we’ll help,” he assures her, while Earth and Ember give each other confused looks.

“What’s a summoning day party,” Ember asks.

“You know how humans celebrate their birthdays? It’s something similar, though since we don’t really have birthdays that we know of, we can celebrate the day we were first summoned from Hell,” Aether explains to the two ghouls, who somehow manage to become more confused.

“I’ve never heard of this,” Earth say, and Ember nods in agreement. He didn’t even know what day he was summoned on; ghouls never seemed to talk about it.

“Do… I need to do anything,” Ember asks as Aether and Earth begin debating the best way to keep Zephyr occupied till everything was ready. Mistral cocks her head in thought, chewing slightly at her bottom lip.

“You can help me set everything up, if you would like,” she decides.

“Sure.” Ember finds it odd that he wants to participate; he was used to being left alone, but something about these particular ghouls made him feel like he wanted to be included. It was a strange feeling, but not necessarily a bad one. He could find himself becoming used to it.

\--

“Like, this,” Ember asks, climbing down from the step ladder to view the streamers he’s hung from the ceiling. Mistral emerges from the kitchen, her frilly lace apron dusted with powdered sugar and icing, to check his work, nodding before going back to decorating a large round cake. Her tail swishes gently from side to side as she hums to herself as she works, adding flourishes of bright color to the cake.

“That looks good,” Ember compliments, turning on the hot water in the sink to start cleaning the pile of dishes Mistral had made. She makes a quiet noise, cheeks blushing red at the compliment. Ember has found he tends to enjoy her company the most, despite her occasional moments of awkwardness. He didn’t feel the need to fill the silence with talk when they were together, instead able to enjoy the quiet.

“Done,” Mistral announces quietly, moving the cake onto a decorative stand she’d stolen from the castle kitchens. She rearranges the dishes and things on the table till she has them set to her liking before coming to help Ember finish the dishes. After they finish cleaning she scampers back to her room to get dressed into something nicer, leaving Ember to stack the dishes in the cabinets. She returns a few minutes later wearing a long-sleeved dress made of an intricate black lace layered over a formfitting slip made of champagne colored satin.

“Pretty,” he says, and she ducks her head as she blushes again. She checks her phone, typing a quick message before fiddling with a pack of candles, deciding to place one on each of the points of the pinnacle she’d drawn on the cake. Her phone chimes again and she looks at the screen, then skitters over to the door. She pokes her head outside then shuts the door silently.

“Here they come. Could you, um…” she motions at the cake and he nods, understanding what she wanted. A bright yellow flame catches on the candle wicks as he touches each one with a fingertip. The door opens to let the rest of the ghouls file in quietly, Zephyr with a handkerchief tied over her eyes and unable to see where she had been led. Earth, Rain, and Aether join Mistral and Ember around the glowing cake before signaling for Blaze to untie the blindfold from Zephyr’s eyes, who blinks as her eyes adjust to the light.

“Surprise!” everyone shouts, her mouth dropping open when she can make out the colorful decorations and the cake.

“Oh,” Zephyr gasps, heart overflowing with joy at the group of ghouls who beam at her. She practically flings herself at Mistral, throwing her arms around the taller ghoulette’s neck and kissing her passionately.

“You devious little thing, this was what you’ve been up to,” she laughs, pulling back to look at the cake. It’s decorated in a variety of colorful swirls, the basic outline of a simple summoning circle and pentagram drawn in icing on the top.

“And there’s ice cream,” Mistral says, giggling quietly as Zephyr pretends to swoon.

“You do know how to show a lady a good time, don’t you,” she laughs, blowing out the candles.

\--

“Do we have any cinnamon,” Rain asks, wandering into the kitchen and beginning to shuffle through cabinets and drawers.

“Why do you need cinnamon,” Earth asks, pausing the movie he and Air were watching on the TV.

“I heard of this thing on the internet called the cinnamon challenge, I wanna try it,” Rain says, giving a high-pitched chirp once he finds the bottle in a cabinet.

“Oh no,” Air mutters, knowing full and well what was going to happen but not moving to stop the water ghoul.

“What is it?” Earth wanders over to the kitchen to watch Rain, Air following suit with his phone ready to record a video.

“So all it is, is you gotta eat a spoonful of cinnamon in a minute. Easy, huh?” Rain locates a spoon and pries the top off the cinnamon bottle, scooping out a spoonful.

“That doesn’t seem hard at all,” Earth snorts, and Air gives an evil snicker as he starts recording.

“Here we go!” Rain gives a thumbs up to Air before dumping the spoonful of spice into his mouth. For a moment all seems well, but then Rain’s cavalier attitude fails as he finds out that the challenge is much harder than he thought. The cinnamon dries his mouth out and as he tries to swallow it becomes stuck in his throat. He coughs a fragrant cloud, choking on the powder and gagging at the overwhelming taste, doubling over as he coughs, trying to clear the stuff from his throat.

“Oh, shit,” Earth panics, hands darting about as he has no idea what to do.

“Knew it,” Air cackles.

“What are you boys doing,” Zephyr asks as the rest of the band ghouls return from their costume fitting.

Aether sniffs at the air, “Why does it smell like cinnamon?”

Rain makes a loud gagging sound as he falls to the kitchen floor, clutching at his throat as he tries to suck in air in pained gasps. The other ghouls rush over, worried about the tall bassist.

“What in the hell has he done this time?” Aether kneels and pounds on Rain’s back, trying to help him dislodge whatever was stuck in his throat.

“He tried, and lost, the cinnamon challenge,” Earth informs the group, earning a groan and eyeroll from Aether. Mistral picks up the bottle of cinnamon from the countertop and examines it closely.

“This is mine,” she says matter-of-factly, then gives Rain a disgusted look. “You deserved that.” She replaces the bottle into its correct cabinet before stomping back to her bedroom.

“Gah,” Rain wheezes, choking on and spilling a glass of water all over himself that Zephyr hands him.

Air goes back to sitting on the couch, saving the video and texting a link of it to Rain’s phone.

\--

They’re all seated on or around the couch in the living room, eating popcorn and watching a movie when it happens. Zephyr feels Mistral stiffen against her side where they’re curled together on the couch with Ember and Earth. She turns to ask the taller ghoulette what was wrong so find her staring, wide-eyed, at the far wall.

“B…B…B…” Mistral mumbles, quaking in fear.

“Honey, what’s wrong,” Zephyr asks, patting at her leg gently.

“Bug!” The air ghoulette cries, pointing a clawed finger in the direction of her stare. The ghouls and ghoulette all turn to look at what has upset Mistral, finding a large, dark colored insect clinging to the wall.

“Oh, it can’t hurt you,” Zephyr reassures her girlfriend by nuzzling at her neck. “It’s not even moving!”

The bug seems to have other ideas, and inches upwards slightly. Mistral whimpers, pressing herself into the corner of the couch.

“Here, I’ll get it. It’s just a palmetto bug,” Earth offers, handing Zephyr his bowl of popcorn before jumping up from the couch and carefully approaching the wall. He moves cautiously forward, pausing before bringing his cupped hands together over the bug. Events follow in quick succession:

Earth misses the bug entirely.

The bug, detecting a threat, spreads its wings and launches itself into the air.

Mistral shrieks, flailing as she extracts herself from the couch and runs to the other side of the apartment.

A bowl of popcorn goes flying, hitting Ember in the head and spilling all over his hair.

Rain leaps into the air from where he sits on the floor, outstretched claws plucking the bug from midair.

“Wow,” the group collectively gasps at Rain’s amazing display of athletic speed and grace. Rain peers at the bug held delicately in his claws with an air of curiosity. He then proceeds to plop it into his mouth and eat it, it’s exoskeleton making a horrible crunching sound as his fangs pulverize it.

“OH. MY. GOD.” Zephyr shouts, and Mistral wails from her corner.

“Ewww,” Ember and Earth shudder, both ghouls inching away from the bassist.

“Rain, we don’t eat those,” Blaze sighs, shaking his head.

“Why not, it wasn’t bad. Has like a,” he looks up, thinking, “a cream filling.”

Mistral gags and Zephyr makes a disgusted sound.

“I’m gonna go be sick now, thanks,” she mumbles, collecting Mistral and retreating to their shared bedroom.

“We gonna finish the movie,” Rain asks, flopping back to the floor. He picks up some of the spilled popcorn from the ground and tosses it into his mouth, crunching away merrily.

“Rain,” Aether admonishes, making the water ghoul shrink away from the large ghoul and give him a wide-eyed stare.

“You act like we don’t feed you,” Blaze mutters, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“You know what, I think I’m done for the night,” Earth announces as he leaves, Ember and Aether soon follow suit.

“What? I don’t understand,” Rain mumbles, deflating as Blaze rises from his chair and stretches. He drops his gaze dejectedly to his lap, rubbing the tips of his claws together as he tries to figure out how he’s seemed to have ruined the rest of their night. He startles when Blaze grasps him under his arms, pulling him up and onto the fire ghoul’s lap on the couch. He goes pliant, letting Blaze maneuver him about till they’re comfortable entwined, humming in pleasure when Blaze nuzzles and kisses at his neck.

“Here, we’ll finish the movie together,” he purrs into Rain’s ear, clicking the remote at the screen. The movie resumes playing, only to be ignored by the two ghouls tangled together on the couch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm probably going to start writing more on Rain and Blaze soon. My brain is having _ideas_.  
>  My Ghost-centric tumblr is now <https://blacklight-ghoulette.tumblr.com/>, come drop by maybe? I'm always open for messages and asks. Gotta keep my brain working!


	7. Breakpoint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Cardinal appears, the tour starts, Ember loses his mind, then finally gets what he wants.
> 
> In a sort of angsty, roundabout way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, we're getting to the promised Water/Aether (or Ember/Aether) porn! HUZZAH!
> 
> There are a few exceedingly rare moments in my life where I look back over something I've made and actually sit back and think "Damn, I did good." The later part of this chapter is one of those moments. I'm like, so fucking proud of how it came out, you guys have no idea. I wanted something diabeetus-inducingly sweet, and I think hit the nail on the head there.
> 
> It's a bit weird, because I wrote the major part of this chapter before I had written anything else in the fic, and have been working around this one scene since the beginning. It makes part of it seem a little disjointed, but I think I've been working it out alright?

The Cardinal regards the assembled ghouls with a blank face, walking amongst them with the air of a military instructor inspecting his troops. He turns on his heel once back at the front of the room to give the ghouls a tight smile.

“I look forward to working with you all. I have heard a great many things of your talents,” he says with his thickly accented voice. He then claps his hands together briskly, “Now! We have much yet to do, and time grows short. It is, as they say, time to burn the midnight oil.”

\--

“I think he’s trying to kill us,” Ember groans, lying back almost limp on the bedsheets. Fire is laid out next to him, chest still heaving from his orgasm as he slowly pieces his composure back together. The Fire ghoul had practically tackled Ember in the hallway as he limped back to the apartment, fingers and legs sore from hours of near nonstop playing. The smaller fire ghoul’s temper had snapped and he’d dragged Fire back to his room, kicking the door shut behind them and tearing at the larger ghoul’s clothes with a vengeance. It’d been months since he’d seen the other ghoul, whether by happenstance or design he didn’t know, or really care, elated to finally have someone to take the edge off the buildup of sexual frustration that was beginning to drive him mad. Fire must have felt it himself, allowing Ember to push and pull him around, to settle between his spread legs and fuck him into the mattress. Fire didn’t normally bottom, but seeing Ember show his true self, the barely restrained violence and snapping dominance of a fire ghoul, was worth the ache he was going to have in his backside for the next day.

“Hey, could be worse,” Fire yawns, stretching languidly. “Can’t be worse than Papa III.”

“Ugh,” Ember shudders, wrinkling his nose in disgust at the mention of the youngest Emeritus. Fire reaches over, running a hand over the inside of Ember’s thighs, fingers tracing the spiderweb of scars etched in the otherwise soft flesh. A spike of guilt goes through him, the hazy memory of putting them there still horribly fresh in his mind.

“Stop being depressing,” Ember snorts, slapping at his hand gently, as if he were able to hear the thoughts running through Fire’s head. “And don’t apologize, you say it every time.”

Fire snorts a laugh; Ember could read him like an open book. Instead he rolls over, scooting down to lay across Ember’s legs with his head at crotch-level. He nuzzles his face into the crease of thigh and groin, skating claws up over sharp hipbones.

“Ready for round two,” he asks, flicking his tongue out to taste the sweat and musk at the base of Ember’s cock.

\--

It’s the first night of the tour, and his stomach was in knots. The nervousness seemed like it was going to be an ongoing thing, as he acutely remembers the anxiety from the first show of the previous tour. Like last time he wasn’t alone with the feelings, though this time it was Rain who was taking terrified glances out at the crowd.

“Unholy fuck, there’s so many of them,” the water ghoul whimpers, fingers clutching at his bass with a white-knuckled grip. Ember swallows, licking his lips as he tries to calm his racing heart, unable to offer any words of encouragement to the bassist. Luckily for Rain Blaze loops an arm around his shoulders, the cheeks of their masks clicking together as he nuzzles at the water ghoul affectionately. Envy gnaws in his gut at the display, making him grit his teeth as he tries to ignore the heavy presence of Aether as the quintessence ghoul flexes his hands and adjusts his guitar strap. Something about him has been prickling at the back of Ember’s mind since the band had left the church grounds, making him wish Fire were here to slake his arousal that never seemed to abate in the larger ghoul’s presence.

Their que to head on stage goes up and he shelves the wishes and feelings, breathing in deeply as they head out on stage.

\--

He would have been fine, Ember thinks, if Aether had left his shirtsleeves down. When they’d shed their tailed coats toward the end of the set Aether had rolled the long sleeves to his elbows, showing off muscular forearms, skin gleaming pale against black clothes and guitar that begged for Ember’s attention. He tried his absolute best to ignore it, and if he played a little stiffer than usual he’d blame it on first night jitters.

\--

It happens again the next night, and then the night after that, and the next and so on.

It happens every time the quintessence ghoul rolls the sleeves up, pushing the fabric over his elbows. Something about the revealing of skin is a siren song, singing sweetly to the little part of him that aches so badly for Aether.

Ember thinks he’s losing his mind.

\--

He’s lost it. He has well and truly lost it.

Everything was becoming hazy, a glazed-over quality smearing events and conversations into an incomprehensible mess. The other ghouls were beginning to notice; Earth would occasionally ask if he was alright, Zephyr had begun making him cups of herbal tea during the long hours on the road, even Rain would offer him snacks from the stash of junk food he hid somewhere on the bus. He just begged it off as being tired, trying to say he wasn’t yet used to being on the road again. He’d even caught a few sidelong glances from the Cardinal.

And then Aether had noticed.

“Everything alright,” he asked, sitting across from him on the bus. It was the dark early hours of the morning, and Ember had no idea where they were.

“Everything’s fine,” Ember says, knowing he sounds clipped and irritated. He tries to focus on the guitar in his lap, playing through scales to loosen his fingers and distract his mind from the quintessence ghoul sitting nearby. Being this close together, in the quiet dark of the bus, was so much worse than when they were on stage. He wants to throw himself at the larger ghoul, to bite and lick, to swallow his cock down and let him fuck his face till he can’t breathe. It settles as an ache in his gut and he hunches over the guitar in reflex.

“You don’t look well,” Aether says, and Ember knows he’s right. He looks a mess, hair becoming oily and stringy, skin pale and beaded with sweat.

“I’m fine,” Ember grits out, knowing if Aether comes any closer he was going to lose it. The only thing keeping him from jumping his bones and rutting up against him now was a memory, the only clear one from that night that was otherwise clouded over in alcoholic haze, of Aether’s soft voice when he had offered himself to him for the last time, “ _No, I don’t want this.”_

If he gave in to the searing pulse of desire, it would be the end of it. Aether had made it clear: he didn’t want Ember, and he can respect that. So he swallows the want and the need down like a bitter poison, pushing it and hiding it away till it burns itself out.

He prays that his sanity can outlast it.

\--

Ember can forgive himself the mistake once. It happens to everyone at some point; even Papa III had botched a few lines during a ritual. He tries to shrug it off, thinks everything will be fine from then on.

It happens again, though. Anger at himself sparks and he snarls behind his mask, thankful that the sound couldn’t be heard over the pounding music. He uses the anger as a focus, playing harder than ever before as if to make up for the slip of his fingers. After the ritual it feels as if he can’t breathe, his chest compressed tight and he lifts his mask to scrub a hand over his face.

He doesn’t see the Cardinal speaking to Aether in a corner, the two of them glancing at the skinny fire ghoul as they confer back and forth.

\--

They’re staying at a hotel, to the elation of all the ghouls. The promise of a good shower and soft bed almost enough to break through the miasma that had settled over Ember. Earth, Rain, and the girls asked if he wanted to go out to a club with them, though he politely declined, wanting time to himself, thinking that if he were able to blow some steam off the haze would dissipate.

Once he’s settled into his room he heads for the shower, leaning against the wall with the spray of water set as hot as he could make it, letting it soak into his hair and beat across tired muscles. He takes his cock in hand, pumping the soft flesh to get the blood flowing, willing it to harden. He’s not sure how long he laid slumped against the tile, steam swirling about as his hand moved as if on its own, chasing wisps of pleasure that seemed just beyond his grasp. He even reached his other hand down to grasp his balls, massaging and tugging on them in the way that usually made his toes curl. And yet, and yet-

Nothing.

Ember groans, peering tiredly down at his flaccid member gripped punishingly tight in a clawed hand. The mix of feelings swirl inside him, stronger than ever, leaving him dizzy with the need to come but unable to make his body respond. He jerks his head back, slamming it into the shower wall with a loud thud, the dull pain that radiates a poor salve. He carefully loosens his grip on his genitals, wary of his claws, and spends a few quick minutes scrubbing himself down and shampooing his hair. He shuts the shower off and towels himself dry before pulling on a pair of tight jeans and an old soft t-shirt.

He’s flipping through his phone, looking for a club or bar nearby for a distraction when he hears a knock at his door, followed by a muffled call: “Ember?”

“Fuck off, Aether,” he growls back, just barely loud enough for the other ghoul to hear him. There’s a moment of silence, a tiny hope that Aether took the hint and left him be. The knocking resumes a moment later, louder and forceful enough to slightly shake the heavy door on its hinges.

“Ember, open the door. Please, I just want to talk,” Aether pleads. Ember can’t help the guilt that flashes bright, but anger boils up and smothers it down. He’s across the room in the blink of an eye, yanking the door open to reveal a startled Aether, fist raised to pound on the door.

“I said,” Ember snarls, “Fuck. Off.”

Aether is silent in the face of the fire ghoul’s anger, as if caught off guard by it.

“Hey, are you, are you ok,” Aether asks, voice quiet and brows knit in concern. Ember snarls back at him wordlessly, yet the bigger ghoul does not back down. “You’ve been, uh, out of sorts lately.”

Ember tries, unsuccessfully, to not flinch back. It was impossible that they had missed how he’d messed up not once, but twice, during a single ritual. Shame colors his cheeks and he wants to hide, curl up into a ball somewhere and disappear. And Aether… There’s an expression of such softness, gentleness, on his face and it’s all Ember can do to claw frantically at the shredded remains of his self-control.

“Hey,” Aether’s voice is quiet, as if he expects Ember to spook. “It’s alright, I’m here to help.” He reaches out and lays a hand on Ember’s shoulder. The contact triggers something, and suddenly the shame and guilt is gone, white hot rage flooding Ember’s veins like gasoline catching fire. It happens in the blink of an eye: face pulled into a feral snarl, sharp canines bared, boney fist snapping Aether’s head back.

“FUCK. OFF!” Ember punctuates each snarled word with a punch. Aether finally snaps back to his senses, blocking the next hit and grabbing a thin wrist in a hand. He’s able to snatch the other before he can be hit again and wrangles the enraged fire ghoul till he has him turned around, Ember’s back to his chest, thick muscular arms pinning the smaller ghoul’s to his sides.

“The hell is wrong with you,” Aether grits out, cheek and shoulder throbbing from the hits he took. Ember thrashes, trying to free his arms, but Aether’s hold is solid. “Lucifer, I’m just trying to fucking help.”

Ember stills after a further moment of straining fruitlessly against Aether’s strength. Aether hopes he’s calming down but doesn’t let go till he’s made sure Ember won’t lash out again. But that short moment of calm was a ruse, as Ember snaps his head back, slamming it into Aether’s face. Aether cries out and jerks away, giving Ember the chance he needs to break away and turn to throw another punch.

Aether, however, had had enough. His temper snaps and he snarls, blood dripping from his nose. He crouches and springs forward, slamming a shoulder into Ember’s middle and lifting him bodily off the ground. He stomps into the hotel room, shoving the door shut behind him, before throwing Ember to the floor. The force of his back hitting the ground violently pushes the air from his lungs, stunning Ember and giving Aether time to straddle his hips. Using his weight to keep the smaller ghoul from kicking out and escaping, he snatches Ember’s wrists and slams them over his head, holding them secure with his left hand. He slaps Ember once, open handed and sharp across his cheek, then again, harder, back-handed. Ember groans, loud, stilling Aether’s hand as he rears back for a third hit.

It was decidedly not a sound of pain that escaped the smaller ghoul’s lips. It was then that Aether notices the bulge that was pressed beneath his ass. He shifts back, panting, the fight draining from him entirely. The movement, slight as it was, must have created more friction between them, as Ember bucks his hips upwards, moaning brokenly.

“Em… Ember?” Aether pants, mind reeling as it tries to process the whiplash of emotions. Ember slowly turns his head a fraction towards Aether, eyes fluttering open to reveal pupils blown wide. His tongue darts out to wet parched lips, chest heaving as he gasps for air.

“Please,” Ember whispers, voice hoarse and cracking. Aether shakes his head, not understanding what was being asked of him.

“Fuck me, please… I need…” Ember moans, louder, bucking his hips to rub his erection against the tight confines of his jeans. It’s not enough, not nearly enough, and he groans in frustration, back arching and wrists straining against the hand holding him down. He pants and looks up through thick lashes, eyes taking in the dress shirt straining at its buttons over Aether’s chest, the two streaks of blood beginning to dry on his face from his nose, the bewildered look in the larger ghoul’s eyes. Ember had never wanted someone so much before, the need a sharp throbbing in his groin.

“Aether, please,” he begs, rhythmically shifting his hips. “I need you, please Aether.”

Aether shakes his head again, trying to clear out the fog that had descended upon him. He releases Ember’s wrists and shifts back, taking his weight off the smaller ghoul. Ember whimpers at the loss, leaving his hands held above his head. Aether then takes notice of the tightness of his own pants; his mind might be confounded, but his body knew what it wanted.

“Fuck.” Aether lets out a shuddering breath before grabbing the front of Ember’s shirt and pulling him up, ducking his head slightly to press their mouths together. For the barest moment its just that, a chaste touching of lips, then Ember is moaning, opening his mouth to let Aether’s tongue slide in. Ember’s tail, which had been minding itself through the entire ordeal, thrashes against the floor as he whimpers and moans against Aether’s mouth and tongue. Aether eventually pulls back, making Ember whine quietly.

His own need claws at him and Aether decides he’s done playing around. He presses a kiss to Ember’s jaw before wrapping his arms around him, lifting the smaller ghoul as he rises to his feet. He sways a moment as Ember wraps long gangly legs around his middle to steady himself, letting Aether walk them to the bed. He stops at the end and gingerly lets Ember down, stepping back cast a quick glance around.

“Lube,” Aether asks and Ember gestures to his bag next to the nightstand. Aether rifles through it quickly, finding the small bottle and returning to the bed. Ember already has his jeans and underwear pushed down his thighs, precome dripping from his swollen cock. Aether’s own erection twitches at the sight as he fumbles at the button and zip of his own pants before climbing onto the bed. After a minute of jostling around he’s got them into a position where he’s able to take them both in one hand, eliciting a groan from Ember at the rough slide once they’re skin-to-skin. Aether caresses their cocks languidly, tracing his thumb along the velvety head of Ember’s prick to drag out another breathy moan. He’s suddenly overcome with the desire to lean down and drag his tongue over the hot, throbbing flesh, to taste the salt and musk of Ember’s arousal, a dangerously sweet and heady feeling worming its way into his skull. He has to shake his head to chase the thoughts away, instead opting to squeeze lube into his hand and begin to stroke them both together with renewed purpose.

Ember gasps at the increase in stimulation, head lolling back and hips twitching in sync. His shirt has ridden up and Aether drinks in the sight of defined abdominal muscles decorated with faint lines of old scars. He runs the fingers of his unoccupied hand down the alabaster flesh, tracing the scars delicately with a claw.

It all ends up being too much for Ember to process, eyes half-lidded and glazed over in ecstasy as he pants a litany of “Oh Lucifer, fuck, please don’t stop, _fuck_ ”. He’s drawing closer to the precipice, wanting to both fall over it and stave it off long as he can.

Aether can tell Ember is close and increases his speed, swiping his thumb across the slit of Ember’s cock, twisting his hand slightly to increase the pressure on the shaft. After the fourth time he does this Ember’s back arcs, mouth open in a silent moan as he comes, painting stripes of seed across his stomach. The sight sends Aether over the edge himself, groaning low as his hips buck forward and his cum adds to the mess on Ember’s flesh.

It’s a few tense moments before Aether’s pulse fades from his ears, lethargy settling into his bones. He makes a face at the mess on his hand, awkwardly pulling his clothes up one handed before stumbling into the bathroom. He washes the lube and cum away, splashing some cold water on his overheated face and scrubbing away the dried blood before fixing his clothes properly. With a damp washcloth in hand he returns to Ember, who is still laid out on the bed with his lower half exposed but now has both hands covering his face.

“Uh, here.” Aether holds the washcloth out and sits on the edge of the bed gingerly, at a complete loss for what to do at this point. When Ember doesn’t move he sighs and moves to wipe up the mess of semen cooling on the small ghoul’s stomach. He feels Ember shiver underneath his hand but doesn’t move or speak to stop him.

“M’sorry,” Ember whispers as Aether turns away to toss the soiled cloth towards the bathroom.

“You don’t have to-“

“No.” Ember interrupts, sitting up and wringing his hands in his lap. “I… I fucked up. I’m sorry, I…”

“Hey, it’s alright. No lasting harm done, right?” Aether gingerly places a hand on Ember’s shoulder, a faint worry that he might snap again chittering at the back of his mind. Instead Ember flinches and looks up at Aether, eyes wide and almost fearful. Aether is struck by the color of them, the light gray now peppered with glowing flecks or orange and red. _Like embers._

“I… I’m… I’m fixated.” The words come out in a quiet rush and he tangles his hands in his hair, curling forward as if it would hide the shame that burns across his cheeks. Aether’s heart skips a beat and he stares at the fire ghoul.

“You’re… you’re sure?” Ember can’t bring himself to snap a retort, instead nodding in resignation. Aether’s mind races, trying to figure out what he can do. He has a basic idea of fixation but does not really know what all it entails. He was going to have to call Papa or Sister Imperator for clarification. Or… an idea occurs to him.

“Don’t worry,” he reassures Ember, squeezing his shoulder before letting go to slide off the bed. “Get some sleep, alright? I’ll see you in the morning and we’ll work this out.”

Ember merely nods and watches Aether leave, heart clenching as the door clicks shut behind him.

“I’m so fucked,” he sighs into the empty room, curling up on the bed covers and staring at the ceiling.

\--

_Please be there,_ Aether hopes, jogging down the hallway and almost missing the room number he was looking for. He knocks and leans against the door frame, focusing on breathing and trying to calm himself down. Blaze opens the door and he nearly sighs in relief at the sight of the fire ghoul.

“I need help,” he says quietly. Blaze’s eyes widen slightly, the only outward sign of surprise that Aether could see. The fire ghoul steps aside and beckons him inside with a jerk of his head.

“What can you tell me about fixation,” Aether asks once the door is closed and bolted.

“I thought you couldn’t.” Blaze gives Aether an inquisitive look as he waves him to the chair at the desk.

“I can’t. It’s…” Aether sighs and scrubs his hands over his face. Blaze slides past to sit on the edge of the bed, nostrils flaring as he detects a certain scent mingled with Aether’s.

“Ember.” Aether nods, shoulders sagging slightly. “How long?”

“I don’t know, he… didn’t say.” _And I didn’t think to ask,_ going unsaid in the quiet of the room.

“You toured with him last year, right? What about then,” Blaze asks.

“He made a few passes at me, but towards the end he was… um,” Aether ducks his head slightly, cheeks coloring at the memory of walking in on Ember and Fire in a dressing room. “He and Fire had a… a thing, I guess.”

“So, worst case scenario,” Blaze works out, running through a few possibilities in his mind, “It started a about year ago and has been festering since.”

“Yeah…”

“Might be too far gone now to break it.” Aether winces, even though he knew the answer before he heard it. “You like him, don’t you?”

“Huh?” Aether jerks his head up, completely caught off guard by the question. “I… Um, yeah?”

“Then go for it.”

“Go for… it?”

Blaze rolls his eyes in exasperation. “You like him. He’s fucked in the head for you. Win, win.”

“That’s… I…” Aether fights to get the right words to form, shaking his head. “It’d be taking advantage of him.”

“Let’s put it this way: if you don’t, the fixation is going to tear his mind apart till all that’s left is the need to _have_ you. It’s like acid, it’ll eat through anything if not dealt with quickly.”

“ _Fuck_ ,” Aether breathes. Blaze makes a noncommittal sound as he leans forward, elbows braced on knees.

“Look,” Blaze sighs, locking eyes with Aether, “You’ve been holding onto that old flame for decades now, it’s time to let it go. You need someone who will reciprocate, and we all know that-“

“I know, stop, I get it,” Aether groans into his hands.

“At least you fucked him tonight, that should help in the short term.” Aether hangs his head sheepishly, pointedly avoiding the sharp look Blaze levels at him. “You didn’t?”

“I, ah,” Aether mumbles, moving his hand in a mockery of what he’d done with Ember a short while ago. Blaze groans in exasperation, rubbing at his temples.

“Then you need to go back and fix that. A hand job isn’t going to satisfy the fixation for more than a few hours and then it’ll be back with a vengeance. If he’s not good to go tomorrow night, then the Cardinal is going to speak to the Sister. What now,” Blaze snaps at Aether as the quintessence ghoul goes red with embarrassment.

“I… I don’t think, ah…” Aether gestures at his crotch.

“If you’re worried you can’t get it up, I’m sure Ember would be more than willing to help you out, if you ask him nicely,” Blaze cackles, then shoves a foot at Aether’s leg. “Now go fuck some sense back into our lead guitarist, we don’t have the time to replace him.”

\--

Aether stands staring at the door to Ember’s room, nervous for the first time in decades. His palms are slick with sweat and he finds it hard to breathe as he knocks on the door. He waits, worried Ember might have gone to sleep like he’d asked earlier. He knocks again, then just as he’s turning to leave he hears the handle turn and Ember peeks through the small crack. The words Aether had prepared died in his throat. Maybe it’s the fixation, or perhaps Ember can see the panic he’s barely managing to control, but either way he steps aside and opens the door wide enough for Aether to slip inside.

The room is dead quiet, all he can hear is the blood rushing in his ears. Ember peers up at him with the most pitiful, hopeful look on his face and it’s a punch to the gut, a twisting of a knife buried in his chest. Aether steps close, framing Ember’s face in his hands, tilting his head back to kiss him gently. He watches Ember’s eyes widen then flutter shut, tension melting away as he sighs into the kiss. He keeps it slow and gentle, juxtaposed to the events earlier in the evening, running his tongue gently along chapped lips asking entry. Ember complies with a hitched breath, lips parting just enough for Aether to dart his tongue in, tasting the wet heat and tracing sharp canines delicately.

Hands skate up his sides and shoulders to reach around his neck, long fingers caressing the nape before clinging to Aether as they finally part, panting for air. Ember’s back arcs as they come together again, tongues twining together in gentle stokes, a light tremor going from his head to his toes. Aether’s hands drop from Ember’s face, tracing down his neck and shoulders, sliding around to rest on his butt, involuntarily squeezing the padded flesh softly and making Ember moan quietly into his mouth. He can’t help the smile that tugs at his mouth as he changes his grip to lift Ember off the ground like before, reveling at how light the fire ghoul was and how he’s able to pick him up with ease. He walks them to the bed, this time turning to let Ember straddle him as he flops back onto the mattress. Ember leans forward to kiss Aether again, grinding his hips down in the same motion and Aether can feel the hardness trapped behind the denim.

_Blaze was right, as always_ , Aether thinks, lifting his hips as Ember unfastens his pants and pushes them down with his underwear. He doesn’t waste time teasing, scooting back and dropping to his knees at the bedside, sucking Aether’s soft cock into his mouth. He lets out a shuddering breath as Ember sucks and licks, blood rushing to his groin as his dick hardens at the attention. His eyes have the look of glowing coals again, Aether notes, as Ember glances up at him through his eyelashes. His cheeks hollow as he sucks hard, pulling away and letting the head of Aether’s cock leave his mouth with a wet ‘pop’. Aether groans and leans back onto the bed as Ember licks a long stripe from balls to slit, tapering his forked tongue to a point to lap at the bead of precome that gathers at the tip. Slender fingers encircle his cock at the base as Ember swallows him down, hand working up and down in tandem with the bobbing of his head. Aether clutches a fistful of bedsheets with one hand as the other reaches down to thread fingers into the silky strands of hair, thumb rubbing gently at the base of one of Ember’s horns. Ember moans, deep and rumbling around his cock, sending shivers of pleasure down his spine.

Aether has to sit up, pushing Ember away gently with the hand in his hair. As much as wanted it, he would end up cumming into the fire ghoul’s sinful mouth soon if he didn’t stop, ruining his game plan. He begins to work on the buttons of his shirt, watching how Ember drinks in the sight as inch after inch of skin is slowly revealed till he shrugs off the shirt entirely and tosses it aside. He kicks his shoes off and Ember peels his pants and underwear all the way off before standing up, leaning down slightly to press their lips together in another kiss. Aether runs his fingers along the hem of Ember’s shirt, sliding them under to run his thumbs along the faded scars scattered across otherwise smooth skin. Ember is the one to pull away this time, reaching up to grasp his shirt and pull it over his head, tossing it carelessly to the floor. Aether hooks his fingers into belt loops to pull Ember close, knees almost knocking against the mattress as he stands between Aether’s spread legs.

Aether traces a hand up Ember’s back, finger dragging along the lines that Fire had carved into his flesh the year before, letting his head fall forward to kiss and nuzzle at the junction of Ember’s neck and shoulder to distract himself from the old memory. He traces the sharp lines of muscles and bone with his lips, peppering the pale skin with featherlight kisses as his hands drop back to denim-clad hips. There’s a gasp and a sharp intake of breath when he presses his lips to one of Ember’s pierced nipples, tracing the areola with the tip of his tongue before closing his teeth on the raised bud. He applies minimum pressure, just enough to keep it in place as he sucks and flicks his tongue over the delicate flesh, enjoying the small noises of pleasure Ember makes low in his throat, body jerking ever so slightly as he forces himself not to squirm. Aether releases his nipple with one last flick of his tongue against the piercing and then Ember is pulling his head back to kiss him hard, biting and licking at his lips. Aether’s trembling hands work at the snap and zip of tight jeans as their tongues dance together, Ember reaching down to push the clothing off with a newfound sense of urgency.

Aether shuffles to lay back in the middle of the bed, Ember a sinuous line of muscles as he climbs atop and slowly lowers himself till they’re pressed together in a long line of naked flesh from toe to chest. He gives a slow undulation, groaning as their cocks slide together and Aether’s hands grasp at his buttocks. The quintessence ghoul hums before pulling Ember to the side, then swinging his legs over to straddle the fire ghoul once he’s on his back. The bottle of lube is still nestled in the sheets where he had tossed it earlier, and he gives Ember another languid kiss as he reaches a hand out and scoops it into his palm. He pulls away to survey the lithe body beneath him, thumb clicking open the cap to the lube, humming quietly in appreciation. He teases a finger featherlight down Ember’s cock and balls, delights in the shudder and hitch in breath as he drags fingertips over his hole.

Aether pulls away to pour lube onto his hand, slicking his forefinger before resuming the ministrations, slowly pressing his finger against the muscle with each circling pass. Ember makes a quiet, desperate sound and his tail curls tight around Aether’s thigh, the spaded end slapping lightly against skin at the stimulation. Aether relents his teasing to press the digit in, working it forward till it’s buried up to the second knuckle in the tight heat of Ember’s body. He crooks his finger slightly before straightening it out and pulling back then pressing back in, thrusting it in and out of Ember’s body. He adds his middle finger after a minute or so, watching as Ember moans and shifts at the stretch.

“Okay?” Aether stills his hand as Ember clutches at the sheets, mouth open as he pants for air. He nods after a moment and the ring of muscle around his fingers flutters, clenching tight then relaxing, signaling him to continue moving. Aether complies, keeping his motions slow and exaggerated, scissoring the fingers apart till Ember is relaxed and loose around the digits.

“Aether, please,” Ember whines, shuddering as Aether’s fingers twist and curl. Precome drips from the head of his cock, glistening wetly on his stomach.

“Yeah, alright,” Aether murmurs, leaning forward to slot their mouths together as he extracts his fingers, stroking his cock to cover it in slick. He shuffles forward slightly, cockhead nudging against Ember’s hole as he spreads his legs wide to accommodate the larger ghoul. Aether pauses to press their mouths together once more, pulling back a fraction till their lips are just barely touching, hot breaths mingling together. Then he presses his hips forward, a low, broken sound emanating from low in Ember’s throat as Aether’s cock stretches and fills him full. Fingers clutch at his hair as Ember’s hips jerk, chest heaving at the overwhelming sensation of having Aether fully seated inside him.

Aether begins to finally move, rolling his hips in a slow, measured rhythm. Before long the fire ghoul is bucking back onto his cock, pushing him deeper still, enticing him to slowly increase the speed of his thrusts. Despite how the smaller ghoul bucks and writhes he keeps it slow, opting instead to lean back and adjust the angle for each gentle press of his hips to be deep and penetrating, intent on dragging out every little sensation he could to drive Ember crazy with pleasure.

“Oh, oh fuck…” Ember pants, hiding his face behind his hands, oddly embarrassed at how quickly Aether has broken him down into a shameless mess, grinding his hips down and wordlessly begging him to plow him into the mattress.

“Stop that, I want to see,” Aether groans, pulling at Ember’s hands away so he can watch how his face contorts in desire.

“Fucking beautiful,” he whispers, snapping his hips forward as something sweet and warm blossoms in his chest. He’d felt the very beginnings of it earlier and it had scared him; now he embraces it fully, letting it grow and suffuse his entire being in a shining radiance. He leans forward to press their foreheads together, locking eyes and wishing desperately to share the saccharin bliss that makes his head light and fingers tingle. Ember either senses it or feels something similar, eyes widening and claws scratching lightly at Aether’s back, his tail quivering as it tightens its hold on the quintessence ghoul’s leg.

A quiet sob breaks from Ember’s throat and a single tear drips down his cheek as his composure shatters, mind unable to process the tide of emotions. This wasn’t fucking, or even just sex; it was love. It’s foreign and incomprehensible, unlike anything he’s ever felt in the entirety of his life, and it is completely, utterly overwhelming. It’s hopelessly addicting and he finds himself needing it more with each passing moment, yet also he is absolutely terrified of the fragility of it.

“Shh, I got you,” Aether assures him, catching the tear with the tip of his forked tongue and kissing Ember gently to share the salt of it as the fire ghoul clings tightly to him.

“Please,” he begs, awareness narrowed down to just the sensations of his body, frazzled nerves crying out with the need to come. Aether shifts to change the angle again, rolling his hips forward in a tighter snap, searching for Ember’s sweet spot with each thrust. The fire ghoul keens once he does, high and sharp, body curling into Aether’s as he drags the head of his cock over and over it in shallow thrusts. The pleasure sparks, brilliant and incandescent, wiping whatever conscious thoughts were left in the wrung-out husk of his mind. Aether reaches a hand down between their bodies to take ahold of Ember’s cock, already slick with precome, and strokes him to match the rocking of his hips. The tips of Ember's claws dig into Aether’s back, the pain as the sharp points pierce the skin muted by the fog of pleasure as he watches Ember come, eyes widening slightly and hips jerking into Aether’s hand. Another keening cry bubbles up and Aether drinks it down, kissing the little ghoul hard as he falls apart.

“No, no, in… inside, please,” Ember moans, voice absolutely wrecked in the throes of his orgasm, as Aether shifts to pull out, intending to finish and spend himself on Ember’s stomach and thighs. Legs and tail wrap tight around Aether’s lower half, keeping him from pulling away and the quintessence ghoul groans, pressing his face into Ember’s neck. Aether tightens his fingers on the fire ghoul’s hips, oblivious to the fact he’ll be leaving bruises in his wake as he pistons into the him, the last dregs of his composure spent. The pleasure finally crests and he’s falling, drowning in a rush of ecstasy and endorphins, hips bucking as he empties himself inside Ember’s tight heat, grunting quietly. Hands tug his head up from where it had fallen to Ember’s shoulder to press their lips together, sharing panted breaths as Aether rides out the aftershocks of his orgasm.

The gentle feeling grows through Aether as the haze of climax fades, bringing with it a bone-deep lassitude. He eases himself back, pulling his flagging prick from Ember’s body, falling to the side with a quiet groan. Ember curls up to him, nuzzling gently at his neck, and he instinctively wraps his arms around the fire ghoul, twining their legs together. After a moment he shifts till they’re positioned properly on the bed, snuggling into the fluffy pillows and dragging the blanket over them both. His brain supplies an idle observation: they’re both a mess, sweaty with cum drying on their skin. But sleep beckons them both; the shower will still be there in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've tormented poor little Ember enough, so he gets some sweet, sweet Aether lovin'.
> 
> And just who could be Aether's old lover who he can't seem to get over?? STAY TUNED TO FIND OUT!  
> *finger guns*


	8. Fight and Flame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go well, things turn sour, a fight for their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so. Lots of feels here, and super plot heavy. The main part of this chapter (the fight), was the second part I wrote and the major driver of all of my plot. I've been going fucking insane keeping these cards held close, not wanting to really spoil anything and give it this nice, grand entrance so to speak. This one should start to answer some questions, and maybe give you a few new ones. Heh.
> 
> Also, I counted this as 'done' about 5k words ago, but I wanted to soften it just a tad and threw some porn at the beginning. That kinda got away from me (like it always does), and then I ended up writing the end part which was going to go into a chapter of its own but it felt like it belonged here. So, enjoy this beast of a chapter! I've now caught up to myself in writing, amazingly.

Something moving against him wakes Ember. He blinks in the dim morning light filtering through the heavy hotel curtains, snuggling closer to the deliciously warm body wrapped around him and trilling in quiet contentment.

“Morning,” huffs an amused voice, husky from sleep. Ember rises up on his elbows, shaking the hair from his face to find Aether smiling at him gently, aubergine eyes glittering in the pale light. A hand comes to rest on his head, thumb tracing down one of his horns to rub at the base, making a shiver run down his back. A purr rumbles in the back of his throat as he crawls upwards to press their mouths together, kissing the quintessence ghoul slow and sweet.

“Need to brush our teeth,” Aether laughs, wrinkling his nose slightly at the sour taste of morning breath on his tongue when they part. He extracts himself from the bed, reaching his arms over his head to stretch, rolling his shoulders and neck before picking through the clothes haphazardly discarded on the floor. Something akin to panic spikes in Ember’s chest as he watches Aether drag on the previous night’s garments, not wanting the other ghoul to leave him yet. He must have made a noise as Aether turns to give him a reassuring smile.

“I’m just going to get my stuff, I’ll be right back, promise,” he murmurs, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to Ember’s forehead as he grabs one of the room keys from the nightstand. When the door clicks shut behind him Ember tries to calm his racing heart, telling himself to trust Aether’s words, even when a part of him screeches and claws at his mind to not let him go else he’ll never come back. He decides staying in bed wouldn’t be the best idea, rolling off the plush mattress and wandering into the bathroom to take a piss and brush his teeth, pausing momentarily at the mirror. It’s the first time after sex that he’s not covered in scratches and teeth marks, only a few small bruises on his hips that were already beginning to fade.

\--

Aether returns to find Ember leaning against the vanity, scrubbing a toothbrush in his mouth diligently as his tail swings back and forth. The quintessence ghoul plucks at his clothing; the pants were still in good condition, but the shirt and underwear definitely had to be washed again. Nude once again he joins Ember in the bathroom, fiddling with the shower controls before ducking under the spray and pretending not to notice how the fire ghoul’s eyes follow him.

“You don’t have a tail,” Ember remarks, studying the smooth lines of Aether’s back as he scrubs shampoo into his hair. There’s the faint telltale shimmer of a glamour over the skin, piquing Ember’s curiosity.

“Ah, no, I don’t,” Aether replies, ducking his head under the stream of hot water to rinse the suds away.

“Did you lose it?”

“I’d… rather not talk about it,” Aether mumbles, shaking his head of excess water. Ember hums, respectfully dropping the subject. Instead of trying to sate the curiosity that still itches under his skin, he drops to his knees and presses his face to Aether’s groin, tilting his head to suck one of the quintessence ghoul’s balls into his mouth.

“Oh, _fuck_ ,” Aether moans, twitching in surprise as Ember begins to pleasure him.

“You’re insatiable,” he groans, threading fingers through the dripping strands of Ember’s hair. The fire ghoul purrs, letting the testicle drop from his mouth with a little pop to grin up at Aether, dragging his tongue along the prominent vein on the underside of his cock. He mouths at the head, teasing his forked tongue against the slit to make Aether hiss and tug gently at his hair, silently demanding that Ember enclose his prick in the wet heat of his mouth. Ember obliges, cheeks hollowing as he sucks hard and bobs his head, fingers wrapped around the base to work the bottom half. Aether allows himself to slump back against the cold tile, groaning and bucking his hips forward when Ember’s hand falls away as he presses his face into the coarse patch of pubic hair, Aether’s cock sliding into his throat. He manages not to gag, swallowing around Aether’s girth before pulling back. He bobs his head back forward, fucking his throat on Aether’s dick in small circles, breathing harshly through his nose to keep from choking,

Claws dig into his scalp as the quintessence ghoul shudders and moans, streaks of cum shooting down his throat. Ember does gag then, pulling off Aether’s cock as the last spurt of semen dribbles over his tongue and lips, dripping down his chin. He’s breathing hard as he sits back on his heels, sultry eyes looking up at Aether as he licks the niveous liquid from his skin.

“Christ, you are sinful,” the big ghoul groans, noting how Ember’s cock hangs heavy and to attention between his legs. He motions for the fire ghoul to stand, bending down to slot their lips together in a sloppy, wet kiss. The taste of minty toothpaste is almost overpowered by his own seed, not something he ever really cared for but found it to be intoxicating when on Ember’s tongue. Breaking the kiss, Aether turns Ember around, wrapping his arms around his skinny frame to push his back against his chest.

Aether nuzzles at Ember’s neck as he runs his hands down his body, caressing nipples and mapping out scars and muscles. His right hand slides lower to palm at Ember’s cock, delighting in the hitch in the fire ghoul’s breath as he begins to stroke him slowly. The quintessence ghoul presses kisses against the right side of his neck and up to his ear, nipping gently at the lobe as the smaller ghoul moans and twitches his hips into his hand. Aether’s other hand drops to Ember’s hip, rubbing small circles along the pronounced ridge of bone before dragging lower, fingers caressing the spiderweb of scars that accentuate the soft skin of his inner thigh. Ember makes a low noise in his throat, bucking hips forward as if to request that Aether move his hand faster. Aether huffs a laugh against the fire ghoul’s neck, licking at the pale skin to taste the salt of his sweat as he lets the hand on Ember’s thigh move lower still, cupping his balls in the palm of his hand. Ember shudders, moaning loud as Aether rolls them in his hand, kneading them gently as he marvels at the velvety soft skin.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Ember groans, panting as the pleasure makes his toes curl, fingers clutching at Aether’s hips to ground himself. “Aether, fuck… So good, don’t stop, please…”

Aether hums, working his hands in a faster rhythm, peppering light kisses to his neck as the fire ghoul comes apart in his hands.

“Fuck, fuck, I’m gonna—Aether, _fuck!_ ” Ember shouts as he comes, shuddering and arching back against the larger ghoul. It’s heady and intense, yet at the same time, as he comes down there an oddly hollow feeling worming into his gut. Aether holds him up in case his legs decide to give out as he catches his breath, mouth pressing wet kisses to his neck still.

“Good thing we’re already in the shower,” the quintessence ghoul laughs, moving them both into the spray of water once Ember wasn’t in danger of falling. He pours shampoo into his hand and begins to massage it into Ember’s scalp, the fire ghoul groaning in pleasure.

“Keep that up and I’m going to need a second shower,” he purrs, winding his tail around Aether’s leg as he tilts his head back into the larger ghoul’s hands.

\--

They load their bags into the bus and saunter back into the hotel, heading over the ghouls occupying the continental breakfast. They’re all glamored to look human, yet their collective aura has driven away the human guests from the breakfast area. Mistral stands at the counter, fiddling with the waffle maker. Ember wanders over, peering at it.

“Hey, can I—”

“No, I’ll make it,” she cuts him off, giving him a cold glance. Ember moves back, holding his hands up in resignation. She seemed just as controlling of making waffles as she was with her pancakes.

Aether slides into a chair next to Blaze, the old fire ghoul dangling a piece of bacon over Rain’s face. The water ghoul was laid out on his side over his chair and into Blaze’s lap, whimpering softly though he takes the offered piece of meat.

“Seems like he had a great night,” Aether laughs, feeling sorry for the ghoul as he deals with his first hangover.

“Mmmhm,” Blaze hums, popping a piece of greasy bacon into his mouth and nodding at Ember. “Seems like someone _else_ had a great night.”

“Ah,” Aether’s cheeks flush scarlet, ducking his head in embarrassment.

“Seems like it did the trick,” the old fire ghoul continues, hooded eyes noting the absence of tension that the small ghoul had been carrying around lately.

“I, ah, I guess,” Aether mumbles, hiding his face in his hands. The old ghoul laughs till he’s interrupted by Rain, who falls to a heap on the floor. The water ghoul makes a strangled noise as he claws his way to his feet, running for the nearest bathroom with hands clasped over his mouth.

“Poor guy, Earth and the girls really took him for a ride, huh?” Aether remembers how Fire was the one to ply them all with drinks, and the few unfortunate times when Ember had succumbed to his charms. That Earth had taken on that role, he was a bit surprised. He’d never really noticed how much Air had grounded the tall drummer.

In retrospection, there were a lot of things he didn’t seem to have noticed. Ember had made himself very clear, even he had turned the small ghoul down. His confession while curled up on the floor of the bus, the night club, the drunken kiss, all of the awkward tension and the glances since returning to the church after the last tour… he should have been able to piece things together. He’d let himself become so engrossed in his orders from Sister Imperator, his worry for Papa Nihil eating up all his remaining attention… He sighs, running a hand over his face. The thunk of a plate being set down startles Aether out of his introspection and he sits up.

“You want coffee,” Ember asks, sliding him a plate with a waffle. He has a waffle of his own, doused in an unholy amount of butter and syrup, though he’d thankfully left his alone for Aether to flavor as he wishes. He nods, pulling the plate closer to him.

“Two sugars and one cream, right?” Aether marvels that Ember has somehow remembered how he likes his morning coffee, nodding again. Ember looks over at Blaze, motioning at his empty cup. “You want some more, too?”

“Sure. Black, with a pinch of salt.” Ember makes a face, but still grabs the cup and heads over to the coffee pot.

 --

Ember can’t help but stare as they’re all changing into their stage clothes. There’s new marks peppered over Rain’s skin, scarlet lines and blossoms of purple bruises, teeth marks and finger prints. When the two had found time to make those he’s unsure, but they pull at something deep inside him, a feeling of envy burning in the pit of his stomach.

Aether’s every touch is soft and gentle, as if worried that Ember was made of glass. He loves it, craves it like a drug, but sometimes… sometimes he wished for more.

He wants marks of his own. He wants Aether to stake his claim into his flesh with claws and fangs. He wants to bleed, to hurt, to stitch Aether into the very fabric of his soul.

He wants what Rain has, the mass of white scar tissue molded around the bite mark on his pulse point.

But he’s scared, no, _terrified_ , to ask. If Aether wanted to mark him, he would have done so by now. Ember doesn’t want to push, to press the subject lest Aether shy away and that would be the end of this short moment of intimacy. Even the mere thought of it ending clenches hard in his chest, a sharp pain that nearly bends him double.

He acts like he’s straightening his spats to mask the motion, not wanting to worry his fellow ghouls. He’s settling his mask on his head when Aether walks by, giving him a wink and holding out a hand. They bump fists and Ember tries to push the feelings aside and concentrate on the show.

\--

Ember’s heart was beating entirely too fast, sweat soaking through his button-up shirt and balaclava. A couple of times he even felt light headed, the bright stage lights dazzling and confusing, leaving him feeling like he was going to fall. Somehow, he made it through the whole ritual without dropping a note or slipping, barely managing to keep his cool demeanor for the crowd of screaming fans. Afterwards, though, once he saw to it that his guitar was properly taken care of he strides over to Aether, grasping his elbow in a vice-like grip and practically dragged the larger ghoul after him. He kicks open the door to the nearest dressing room and marching inside, slamming the door shut behind him as he flings off his mask and sodden balaclava.

“What is the devil is wrong with you,” Aether asks, breath catching in his throat and eyes widening as he watches Ember tear at his clothes as if they burned his skin. He can see the beads of sweat dripping down his forehead, pale skin flushed a blotchy red as the small fire ghoul pants for air.

“Ember, are you alright, are you ill?” His voice is laden with concern as he removes his own mask and balaclava, stepping close to wipe the damp strands of hair from his face. Ember’s pupils are pinpricks, the irises already flecked with tiny bright flames.

“I _need_ you, Aether,” he gasps, shrugging his suspenders from his shoulders and reaching arms around Aether’s neck to pull him in for a wet, sloppy kiss. He groans as Aether’s tongue delves into his mouth, dropping his hands to continue to work his stage clothes off, flinging his tie to the floor and popping a couple of buttons off the dress shirt in his haste.

“Hey, it’s okay, I’m here. Calm down,” Aether murmurs against Ember’s lips, trying to calm the fire ghoul’s frantic pace. Ember makes a frustrated noise and shakes his head, nipping at the quintessence ghoul’s jaw as he claws at his tie and shirt buttons. Aether hisses softly, batting the hands away to manage the row of tiny buttons on his own, concerned Ember would tear them off in his frenzy. Shirt and tie dealt with he sinks to the floor, gently pulling Ember to join him on the rough carpeting. Ember drops to his knees heavily, kicking off shoes, spats and socks before wiggling out of the tight stage pants and boxers. He crawls atop Aether, pressing kisses and nipping at any skin he can put his mouth to, working shaking fingers at the clasp and zip of Aether’s pants. He finally manages to get the closures undone, yanking the pants and Aether’s underwear down at the same time.

“Jesus, hold up,” Aether hisses, leaning forward to pull his shoes and spats off so that the last garments could be removed from his body. Ember growls low in his throat, pushing Aether’s shoulders into the carpet as he straddles his thighs, cock erect and bobbing obscenely as he moves. Ember reaches his left hand down to grasp them both, sliding his engorged prick against Aether’s half-hard member, shaking his right hand as glamor shimmers and turns claws to blunt human nails. He jams his index and middle fingers between his lips, working his tongue against them to slick them with spit.

“Ember? Ember, what are you—” Aether asks, a small spike of panic threading through his chest as he’s unsure what the fire ghoul was truly intending to do. His heart skips a beat when Ember drags the fingers from his mouth, dripping wet with saliva, and reaches around to thrust them inside himself.

“Fucking Christ,” Aether breathes, cock twitching at the realization that Ember is fucking himself on his fingers, face contorting as he hisses at the harsh intrusion but not slowing his pace. The fire ghoul groans as he pulls his fingers free, spitting a glob of saliva into his palm and stroking Aether’s cock to coat it.

“Wait,” Aether gasps as Ember crawls forward and lifts himself up on his knees, guiding Aether’s cock between his ass cheeks. The smaller ghoul shakes his head, pupils now blown till his irises are gleaming rings around the black depths and biting down on his bottom lip as his chest heaves. His eyes scrunch up and he lets his head fall back as he impales himself on Aether’s cock, dragging out a low, pained moan from his throat as he wiggles his hips to work the entirety of Aether’s stiff prick into his ass.

“Fuck, oh fuck,” Ember moans, shuddering as he rolls his hips, grinding down on Aether’s dick, his own erection bobbing and dripping precome onto Aether’s stomach. “Need you, _fuck_ I need you so bad,” he babbles, slapping Aether’s hands away when he tries to grasp at bony hips and slow things down, worried Ember was going to hurt himself. He ends up clutching at the fire ghoul’s thighs, transfixed as Ember’s hands reach up and twist into his hair, pulling his head back as he pants and moans.

Finally loose enough, Ember begins to flex his legs and thighs, bouncing himself on Aether’s cock. At the same time he brings his head forward, lolling to the side as he licks at his lips and catches the quintessence ghoul’s gaze. He drags his hands down his cheeks and neck, the glamor over his fingers gone and the sharp hooked claws digging into skin. He lets out a long, low moan as he rakes his claws down his chest, leaving raised red welts in his wake, one claw catching on one of his nipples and cutting into the sensitive flesh. He lets out a pained hiss as blood wells and drips from the torn nub, yet still continues to drag the claws down to his thighs. Ember’s eyes flutter shut as he grasps at his cock, squeezing it tightly and pumping it with dry strokes.

“ _Please_ ,” he whines, voice barely audible and Aether can’t help but give in. He bucks his hips, fucking up into Ember as he grinds down, the room filled with the obscene sound of skin slapping on skin and the quiet noises that fall from Ember’s throat as he fucks himself to oblivion.

When he finally comes, after both too long and too soon, he sobs, back curving to an almost impossible arc, ejaculating in thick streaks across his stomach and hand. They both lay there panting, Aether staring in disbelief at the fire ghoul. Ember eventually falls to the side, Aether’s still hard cock slipping from his abused asshole, eyes half-lidded and tired as he rides out the chemical cocktail his brain has dumped in his bloodstream.

“What was that,” Aether mumbles, sitting up and crawling to Ember till he can pull the limp ghoul into his lap. His cock twitches, begging for him to finish but Aether ignores it, more worried about Ember than finishing at the moment. “Are you alright? Is it… better, now?”

“Mmmhm,” Ember hums, the impending aches and pains after such a vigorous round of sex still dulled and hazy. His torn nipple throbs but even that he can push aside, ignore it as he basks in the sweet fulfilment of having Aether close.

“Hey, guys, we’re getting food,” Rain calls, stepping into the dressing room as he sucks at the tiny straw of a juice box. He tilts his masked head as he takes in the two naked guitarists, Ember clinging bonelessly to Aether’s sweat-slicked muscles. He slurps at his juice box, the scene not phasing him in the slightest.

“Um, thanks,” Aether sighs, shaking his head.

“Want me to bring you both something back, you look a bit worn out,” the bassist remarks, crushing the empty drink container in a hand.

“That would be wonderful, thank you,” Aether grits out, letting out a breath once the water ghoul shuts the door behind him. He was going to have to have a talk with Rain about boundaries and knocking on doors sometime soon.

\--

Aether leans against a bench and lights his cigarette, taking a long drag while watching the birds riding the thermals in graceful arcs. It’s quiet, no foot traffic near this end of the venue, the sounds of the city muffled and far away. The feeling of calm and safety breaks, however, as he feels the world around him dim and quiet as if some unseen bubble envelopes the area. The hair on the back of his neck prickles, telling him he’s no longer alone and he turns, hoping it’s just Ember returning with their drinks.

Two figures stand nearby. Though clad in street clothes Aether knows they are not regular humans from the power that emanated from them, cool and gentle like a mountain stream. The shorter one was handsome and with close cut blond hair, eyes glittering like sapphires. The other is tall and broad shouldered, hair like waves of platinum clasped into a loose tail, and eyes the endless blue of the ocean.

“We’ve been looking for you,” the taller man says, his voice like honey. There’s something familiar about him but Aether can’t quite place it. He drops his cigarette and crushes it beneath his heel.

“I’m sorry? I don’t know who you are.” Tension coils in his shoulders and neck as Aether glances around quickly, looking for anyone that might be nearby, cataloging possible escape routes.

“It seems you’ve fallen further and forgotten more than we thought,” the shorter man sneers, his sharp gaze raking over Aether. He has the distinct feeling both men could see straight through the glamor hiding his horns and claws.

“Rahmiel,” whispers the tall man, and Aether’s heart seizes. The name sears through his mind, igniting memories in cold fire.

“Who,” he gasps, finding it suddenly hard to breathe, “Are you?”

The tall man tosses his head back and power floods the area, sending sparks of crystalline pain down Aether’s nerves. He is barely able to keep upright though he does stagger, clutching at his chest as the pain bleeds into a familiar pulse, cool and peaceful; inviting. It calls to him at the deepest part of his being, at the tattered old remains of his soul, quiet and sorrowful, and for the barest of moments he wants to give in and go back, would do anything to return to that sweet, loving embrace once more.

“Uriel,” Aether croaks and his knees give out, landing hard on the concrete. The light cast by Uriel’s halo burns his eyes, dripping tears down his cheeks.

“I did not wish this for you,” the archangel sighs, voice laced with sadness, “You should have ended after the fall.”

“We finish this here,” the short angel hisses, fingers tracing a sign in the air. A slightly different power flares, still the cold holy fire but now metallic and hard, immobilizing Aether where he knelt.

“I offer a mercy to you who were once beloved,” Uriel intones, a sword materializing in his right hand, gold-wrought crystalline blade glinting rainbows in the sunlight, eyes speaking his grief though his tone is steel. “A quick end, devoid of pain.”

\--

Ember stops and drops the bottles of water when the feeling washes over him, something foreign and innately wrong. Looking around he notices an odd shimmering, as if he were looking at things through warped glass. His hackles rise and he takes off in a jog, hoping Aether will know what is going on.

The scene he comes upon is like something from a nightmare. Aether is on his knees, eyes pleading with a man who stands before him. Light glints off the blade of a sword, raised high to be brought down in an arc that would decapitate the quintessence ghoul.

Time slows, then comes to a standstill.

Deep within his soul his fire awaits, bound in chains of discipline and self-control. He takes hold of them, gentle, reverent, acknowledging what he is about to do is most likely suicide. But it’s for Aether, and Aether is his… is his…

_His._

Ember rips the chains apart, unleashing the caustic inferno into his veins. Throws his head back and shrieks, casting off the last shreds of his faux-humanity like a snake sheds its skin, surrendering himself in to the rage and unholy lust for blood and death. The sudden blast of heat is a shockwave of hellfire, cracking the ground beneath him and setting his own clothes aflame, the flesh of his hands and arms cracking and blackening. He bears his teeth and snarls, launching forward to attack.

The thundering crash of hellfire provides a distraction. The smaller angel flinches, the hold on his spell breaking and giving Aether the barest moment of time to fling himself backwards from the falling blade. Ember’s assault does not stop Uriel’s attack, though the shockwave throws the trajectory of the cutting edge off just enough to avoid a killing blow. It still bites deep, cutting into Aether’s left shoulder and slicing a diagonal line across his chest. He cries out in pain and falls, curling instinctively upon himself. His hands clutch at his chest, trying to hold the wound shut as blood cascades out between his fingers, hot and slick. His eyes become affixed to Ember, watching the fight play out in a trance.

Ember hits the smaller angel just as the sword begins its descent upon Aether. He lowers his head and barrels into the angel, the now elongated and sharp points of horns goring into the soft flesh of his abdomen. The angel grunts in surprise, the extent of the damage not yet registering. Ember breaks free with a toss of his head, arms outstretched to dig claws into shoulders and drag the angel to the ground. He hits the pavement with a cry, Ember already crawling atop, claws and sharp spaded tail scrabbling for flesh to rend, teeth bared in a feral snarl. He’s almost disappointed the angel doesn’t put up a fight, raking claws over eyes and cheeks, reveling in the shrieks of pain and the sizzle of blood when it touches his burning flesh.

Ember feels the movement more than sees it, flipping backwards from the mangled body with a feline grace, the flash of the sword just barely missing his throat. He snarls and catches the oncoming overhand swing with both hands, the blade biting deep into the fire-wrought scales of his palms. He clenches his fists, trapping the blade in his flesh, then gives the tall angel a maniacal grin as he pours every available ounce of hellfire into his palms. The angel’s stoic resolve falters just a hair as he notices the blade turning from red to white hot around the ghoul’s hands and goes to wrench it free. Quickly as he suffused the metal with heat he calls it back, pulling the hellfire back into his hands, cauterizing the wounds as the sword is yanked from them. Ember expects the next attack and pivots at the last moment, letting the flat of the blade hit along the length of his left arm from shoulder to elbow. The blade, now brittle from the sudden extreme change in temperature, shatters from the force of the blow, shards digging into his cheek and arm.

There is another moment of stalled time, where Ember catalogs the look of sheer disbelief on the angel’s face as his weapon is sundered.

The angel’s face twists in a rictus of rage, power and light exploding and Ember snarls, eyes screwed shut to protect his vision. He smells ozone and a concussive blast knocks him back and onto the ground, ears ringing and throbbing with a sharp pain. He thinks, in a quiet moment of clarity, that he feels something soft and faint brush against his cheek, like some giant bird swooping by just close enough to touch. It’s gone in a second as he blinks, spots floating across his vision but he can tell the angels have gone, disappeared in the blast of holy light. It’s a few seconds more before he’s able to roll onto his side, his entire body aching in protest, eyes searching frantically till he finds Aether.

The quintessence ghoul is curled up on his side, some twenty feet or so away, flesh gone too-pale and blood soaking his clothes, eyes unfocused and moving slow.

“No,” Ember rasps, heart in his throat. He struggles to move, feeling as if he were stuck in a viscous fluid, ending up on his hands and knees. He tries to stand but his legs buckle, causing him to cry out as he catches himself with ruined palms slapped to the concrete.

“No, no, no!” The cuts break open and blood drips to the ground, sizzling and burning as hellfire still sings through his veins. He crawls, ignoring the pain, the entirety of his focus lasered down to reaching Aether, not even noticing when the other ghouls find them.

Rain and Zephyr rush by and reach Aether first, kneeling down and speaking quietly to the quintessence ghoul. Ember can feel their elemental power as they work to stabilize the quintessence ghoul, then hands grip at his shoulders. Earth jerks back with a yelp, palms singed from the short contact with Ember’s flesh.

“Don’t touch him,” a smooth voice comes from behind. Ember growls, continues to try and drag himself to Aether. “Here, let me, he can’t burn me.”

Arms encircle him, holding him gingerly as if he would break. Ember hisses and tries to yank away. Aether was hurt and needed him, he had to get to Aether.

“Hey, hey, hey, shhh, stop that,” the smooth voice coos in his ear. Ember snarls and thrashes, he’s so close, Aether is _right there he’s so close!_

“Calm down, he’s going to be alright,” the other ghoul soothes and Ember howls, letting the hellfire ignite along his abused hands and arms, willing the obstacle holding him back to burn to ash. There’s a snort and the arms tighten around him and he’s lifted into the air, being carried away from Aether. Ember cries out and kicks his legs, tail flailing about, landing a few solid hits but nothing with enough force to let him go.

“Lucifer, I said stop!” The world tilts dizzyingly; one moment he’s looking at the sky, the next at the ground, then being flipped around again. He groans and shudders as a wave of nausea bubbles up and he finally stills, finding himself seated on the ground in Blaze’s lap when the world finally stops spinning.

“Everything’s going to be fine, don’t worry. We’re going home, and Sister Imperator will get him healed up good as new,” Blaze explains, cupping Ember’s face in his hands. “You can come back now, let the fire go back inside.”

Ember pants, mind reeling as he tries to collect the splintered shards of his mental barriers, desperately trying to contain the fire raging inside. But it’s slippery, unwilling to be chained again after burning hot and bright for the first time in his recent memory.

“I can’t,” he whispers, voice breaking as he keeps fumbling. The harder he tries to wrangle the fire the faster it slips away like an untamed beast, and with each failure panic rises till he can’t breathe.

“Easy, it’s okay. Just breathe, I got you.” Blaze studies Ember’s eyes, noting how the sclera have gone black, his irises orange-red like glowing coals. He runs a thumb along a cheekbone, catching a tear as it falls, noting how it boils away from the heat still bleeding off Ember’s skin. He gathers the small ghoul close, pressing a gentle kiss to Ember’s forehead as he closes his eyes, reaching out to his own fire that crackles merrily at the heart of his soul. It comes when called, a rush of warmth and power, tamed by centuries of training and resolve. Blaze lets it seep into every pore, then slowly allows it to bleed into Ember.

Ember balks, the two powers clashing like oil and water, swirling about each other without mixing. Blaze adds a little force, letting his dominance and steadfastness bolster Ember and help the ghoul reign in his own fire. He cards a hand through the long tresses of Ember’s hair, now tangled and damp with sweat, holding him tight till he finally gives a broken sigh, spent and trembling. Blaze checks Ember’s eyes, now back to their normal color of white sclera and gray irises.

“That’s it, there you go,” Blaze murmurs, pressing another kiss to the side of Ember’s head. The little ghoul makes a quiet, pitiful sound before going limp.

“Is he alright?” The Cardinal had joined them after overseeing Aether being loaded onto the tour bus. Blaze grunts, readjusting his hold till he can stand with Ember cradled in his arms.

“He’s holding on, not in as bad a shape as Aether,” he explains to the Cardinal, who’s almost jogging to keep pace with Blaze’s long strides. Inside the bus Aether is laid out on the front couch, bandages wrapped around his torso and flanked by Rain and Zephyr. He nods at them in passing as he heads for the back lounge, gently sitting on the couch as the bus shudders and begins to move.

\--

Everything is fire and pain. His eyes and throat burn, chest tight and unable to breathe. Things shift back and forth gently, an odd rocking motion that unsettles his stomach. After a moment he’s able to blink his eyes open, squinting in the dying afternoon light filtering through the windows, eyelids feeling like they’re backed with sandpaper. The bus bounces over a pothole in the road and his stomach lurches, saliva flooding his mouth.

“Oh, fuck,” Ember moans, falling from the couch in a vain attempt to reach the bathroom. A bucket is shoved under his face and he clutches at it like a lifeline, vomiting up the contents of his stomach. He chokes and gags as the disgusting mess ends up flooding his nasal passages, tears streaming down his face at the acidic burn in his nostrils. Eventually there’s nothing left to vomit and he’s left shaking, spit dripping from his lips.

“Here,” a quiet voice laced with concern says and a bottle of water appears in his periphery vision. He  grabs for it but drops it as his hands flare up in pain, the ruined flesh unable to perform even the simple task of holding something. It’s snatched out of the air before it can tumble into the bucket of sick, long fingers bringing it up to his mouth gently. He swishes the first gulp and spits it out to try and clear out the taste of vomit and bile. He drinks the rest of the bottle, the cold water soothing on his raw throat, and leans back against the couch. A damp cloth gently wipes away the sweat on the back of his neck and face and he sighs.

“Thank you,” Ember croaks, turning to catch Mistral’s shy smile. The quiet air ghoulette pushes the bucket away, though keeping it within easy reach unless Ember becomes nauseous again.

“Zeph said you might get sick,” she murmurs, settling down to curl around Ember protectively. The gently swaying and quiet hum of the bus nearly lulls him asleep, the world around him softening and beginning to fade. He shifts closer to Mistral, head dropping down to pillow against her bosom and fingers gently brush through the tangled locks of his hair. He buries his face in the fabric of her jacket, inhaling deeply.

His spine stiffens as a scent catches his attention: acrid and metallic, thick with the bright scent of magic.

_Aether, Blood._

“Ember?” Mistral pulls away as she felt the fire ghoul tense, the small room of the bus suddenly filled with hot, smothering power. A low rumble emanates from Ember’s throat that makes the hair on the back of her neck stand up, instincts screaming at her to run. She moves slowly, trying not to draw attention to herself, slowly backing away to the divider curtain.

“Blaze,” she whispers, beginning to quake as Ember growls and snaps his attention onto her. He bares his fangs in a quiet snarl. Tendrils of smoke curl from his nostrils, eyes bright with pinprick pupils. He moves after her with a slow liquid grace, the carpeting under his claws beginning to smoke and catch fire.

“Blaze,” Mistral calls again, slightly louder this time. Ember’s tail curls up like a scorpion ready to strike, the muscles under his tattered shirt bunching as he readies to pounce.

“BLAZE!” she shrieks as Ember leaps at her, claws just barely missing her arm as she flings herself backward. Instinctively she covers her face with her arms, curling in upon herself to make a smaller target for the next swipe of claws. There’s the pounding of feet and she takes the risk of peeking out from behind her arms to see Blaze catch Ember by his hair and fling the small ghoul back onto the couch.

“Go get the tranq,” Blaze orders and Mistral scurries away without further prompting. The fire ghoul spits a curse as Ember pulls himself upright and coils to attack again.

“Have to do this the hard way then,” Blaze mutters, slapping away the swipe of claws to grab Ember’s throat with one hand.

“You want to fight,” he snarls, tightening his fist to cut off the smaller ghoul’s air supply as he thrashes. “I’ll give you a fucking _fight!_ ”

Ember shrieks, the sound strangled and garbled with his throat restricted as Blaze’s power hammers into him. It’s nothing like the gentle flow he’d used earlier; this was Blaze’s full power, a tidal wave of molten rage wrapped in steel ropes of unrivaled dominance. The hit was purely metaphysical, yet it still dropped Ember to his knees, choking on sobs as his mind tries vainly to offer itself up in submission. Blaze growls, tightening his grip to completely close Ember’s throat, making the small ghoul gasp and claw weakly at his forearm as asphyxiation sets in.

Mistral returns, a mass of nerves stinking of fear in the face of so much power in the small space. She presses the syringe into Blaze’s outstretched hand, shrinking back into the corner but oddly not fleeing back to the front of the bus. She watches, eyes wide, as Blaze releases Ember’s throat just as he nears unconsciousness. the bigger ghoul gently lowers Ember to the floor as he coughs and gasps for breath, a large hand turning his head to jab the needle into the side of his neck. It’s a few tense moments before Ember shudders, heaving chest finally calming and he goes limp, eyes unfocusing before rolling back into his head as the tranquilizer floods through his system.

“I’ll, um,” Mistral stammers, motioning to the syringe still clutched in Blaze’s fist. He gingerly hands it over and she darts away to dispose of the used needle safely. Once alone Blaze takes a calming breath, scrubbing a hand over his close-cropped beard. A handprint bruise is already beginning to show against the pale skin of Ember’s neck, scratches and shallow puncture marks from his claws beaded with blood along the sides.

“What a mess,” he grunts, gathering up the unconscious ghoul and settling on the couch cushions, wrapping his arms around the smaller man and twining their legs together. With a sigh he rests his chin on the top of Ember’s head, keeping track of the slow pulse and steady rise and fall of his chest till they arrive back home.

\--

The pain is sharp, radiating in spikes from seemingly everywhere. It’s what drags him back to consciousness, blinking bleary eyes till the world comes back into focus.

“Ah, there you are,” a deep, accented voice rumbles from the left side of the room. Aether is able to turn his head, slowly to avoid making the pain worse, finding Papa Nihil seated at his bedside.

“Papa,” Aether rasps, mouth and throat dry as the desert. His heart lurches in his chest when the old priest rests a hand on his upper arm, thumb stroking gently. An ache nothing to do with the other pain settles into his chest. He opens his mouth to speak, but the old man shushes him quietly.

“You’ll be back on your feet in a couple of days, so I’m told,” Papa Nihil informs the injured ghoul. “Of course, there will be quite the scar left behind. Something to start a conversation with, I’m sure.”

“Ember,” Aether croaks, the memory of the fire ghoul hazy and fragmented, “Is he… alright?”

“Ah, the little fire ghoul, yes?” Papa beams proudly as he pats Aether’s arm. “He’ll be quite fine. Sent those dogs of Heaven running with their tails between their legs. Hah, I wish I could have seen it.”

“Was he… hurt?” A thread of panic tries to worm through the fog covering his mind; the beep of the heart monitor picks up in response.

“He sustained some severe damage to his hands, though Sister has had great success with restoring them. Some other cuts and bruises, nothing he can’t spring back from. Ah, youth,” Papa chuckles quietly. Aether lets out a relieved breath; if Sister Imperator has seen to Ember, he’ll be fine. Strict and imposing as she was, she cared deeply for the ghouls and had more power at hand than most knew of.

“Papa, I…” Aether begins, unable to ignore the squirming, shameful feeling that had been lurking at the back of his mind since the attack. “I… I feel like I have failed you.”

“Whatever could you mean?” Papa’s hand stills in its gentle petting of Aether’s arm and Aether has to turn away from the curious gaze of milky white eyes.

“I felt it, the divine light,” Aether whispers, shuddering as he remembers the sweet pull of it. “It was… it was so beautiful, I… I wanted to go back.” The words choke up in his throat and he closes his eyes, willing the tears that well up to go away. The room goes silent and Aether struggles to breathe.

“You could have submitted to it, could you not,” the old priest asks, voice quiet and even. Aether nods, keeping his face turned away in shame.

“And yet, here you still are. You could have crawled back to them at any time since I pulled you from the smoking earth over a century ago, yet you have not.”

“But I-“

“Hn, they like to preach that Satan has a monopoly on temptation, yet they themselves are just as guilty of it,” Papa snorts, patting Aether’s arm again before slowly rising to his feet. “Rest and heal. Do not worry over such things; we know you to be loyal to us.”

“Yes, Papa,” Aether says, eyes watching as the old man shuffles from the room, the insecurities of his heart put at ease by the old man whom he still loved deeply after nearly a century.

\--

“Ugh,” Ember mutters, struggling against the sheet covering his body. His body and mind are sluggish, still under the effects of the tranquilizers that the clergy has kept injecting into the IV in his wrist every time he’s woken up and begun thrashing. He is finally able to push the fabric down to his middle, letting cool air waft against his fever-hot skin.

“Calm yourself, ghoul. I will not hesitate to put you back under if you seem determined to undo all of my hard work.”

Ember jumps as Sister Imperator admonishes him, hunching his shoulders and ducking his head in deference to the old woman. She hums to herself and brings a hand to his forehead, clucking as he flinches away from her touch.

“Fever has broken, finally,” She mutters, removing her hand and sitting back in her chair. Ember watches as she picks up two long sticks of gleaming black wood attached to a mass of yarn. The wooden needles click together weaving the strands of yarn in a pattern too complicated for his eyes to follow. He flexes his hands, noting the tight wrap of bandages around them that nearly immobilize them. He can somewhat bend the tips, but not much.

“Careful,” Sister chides, tsking at him with a click of her tongue, eyes never leaving her knitting. “The wounds will heal fully but you mustn’t aggravate them.”

“Sister,” Ember asks after a long pause punctuated by the click of the knitting needles, “Is Aether…?”

“Resting. Like you should be.” She glances up at him, expression softening as she notes the worry etched on the small ghoul’s face. “It was a close thing, but we were able to give aid in time. He’ll be back up on his feet soon.”

Relief floods through him, glad that she tells it as it was instead of giving false reassurances to placate him. He allows himself to lean back into the pillows, breathing out the tension coiled in his shoulders.

“Thank you,” Ember whispers, closing his eyes as a wave of fatigue washes over him. He drifts off into a natural sleep, unaided by chemicals from the IV, missing the gentle smile that tugs on Sister Imperator’s lips. She settles further into the chair, concentrating on her knitting and the rhythmic beep of the heart monitor.

\--

The next time he awakes Ember is alone. There’s no clock for him to use to determine the time, though he has a feeling it’s in the late hours of the night. The heart monitor was turned off; the clinic staff must have been assured of his recovery enough to remove the equipment.

His insides writhe, worry and fear churning in his gut when he thinks of Aether, remembers the crystalline blade biting into his chest, the haematic streaks vivid against pale skin. Ember can no longer lay still and patient, shoving at the bedsheets and throwing his legs over the side of the hospital bed. The air is cold and he’s only clothed in a thin hospital gown, the scratchy material barely reaching his knees. He paws at the IV in his wrist, unable to remove it with his bandaged fingers. With a growl he sinks his fangs into it, ripping it from his skin with a jerk of his head, hissing in pain as the injection site drips blood. With a sigh he gingerly slides down to rest his bare feet against the chilly tile floor, taking his time making sure his legs would bear his weight. Once satisfied he wasn’t going to fall over he shuffles to the door, stretching the muscles of his legs and tail as he goes.

Outside the hall is quiet, the sisters and brother on staff most likely in the office at the far end. The whole place reeks of antiseptic and old blood, of pain and faintly the smell of dead things, making him wrinkle his nose as he chooses a direction. He studies the clipboards hung on the doors till he finds one with a familiar symbol, opening the door a fraction to peer inside. There’s no one else that he can see and he slips in, easing the door silently shut behind him.

Aether is on his side on the bed, curled into himself slightly as a monitor attached to a finger beeps with his pulse. A couple of IV lines are attached to his right arm and his chest is covered in a series of bandages, no hospital gown covering his skin. Interestingly enough Ember finds that the telltale shimmer of glamor doesn’t coat the quintessence ghoul’s back, finally revealing what he’s been hiding all this time.

The scars are massive, diamond shaped patterns with ragged edges below each shoulder. They’re old and seem to have taken a long time to heal, the muscles directly around them slightly twisted as if they’d been forced to grow back around something that was no longer there. Ember has to stop himself from touching them, from running his fingertips along the warped flesh in wonder.

_Did he have wings? Ghouls don’t have wings…_

“Em… ber,” Aether husks, turning slowly as he pulls out from a drugged sleep. Ember wobbles as he skitters to the other side of the bed so Aether doesn’t have to move to see him, crouching down to be at eye level.

“Hey,” Ember whispers, reaching out to brush bandaged fingers along Aether’s cheek as he blinks at the fire ghoul slowly. Emotions swell suddenly, heart clenching in his chest as he’s finally able to see for himself that Aether was alive, hot tears prickling at his eyes and dripping down his cheeks as he bites down on his lips to stifle a sob. A hand cups his head, pulling at him lightly to bring him closer, till Aether can lift his head and press their lips together.

“It’s okay,” Aether whispers against his mouth, himself almost overwhelmed by the small ghoul’s display of affection, “It’s going to be okay.”

Ember sniffles quietly when he pulls back, carefully wiping his cheeks with the backs of his hands.

“Can… Can I…” He asks, and Aether gives him a tired smile before shifting to make room on the bed. Ember clambers up, being mindful not to jostle the injured ghoul or to overtax his hands as Sister had warned, eventually able to snuggle close to Aether. They both breathe raggedly, twining legs together as Aether rests his chin on the top of Ember’s head, and the two ghouls fall into an exhausted sleep.

\--

_“The high Sister’s predictions have typically born fruit. Go, my son, and see what awaits us.”_

_Cardinal Nihil sighed, adjusting his biretta and fascia as he followed the ghoul ahead of him. These old, crumbling passageways in Hell were not safe for humans to walk, but being escorted by four of the eldest, most powerful ghouls in the service of the clergy kept provided excellent protection. Only on the rarest of occasions would one such as he be allowed into the stifling halls, using the flowing power to warp time and distance to traverse from one point on earth to another in mere minutes than the days or weeks that traditional travel demanded._

_Air paused as the passage widened to a room, a confluence of other passages connecting in a small cavern. He lifts the obsidian mask to scent the air, or rather the raw power that suffused the place, before turning and striding down one of the right-hand passages with confidence. They come upon another cavern, this one smaller with no other passages leading out._

_“This one will bring us as close to the epicenter as can be,” he informs the group as Earth breaks off from the group to stand in the middle of the room, dumping the contents of a small leather bag on the floor. With a gesture the fine ground salt swirls then snaps into circles and lines, forming an elaborate pentagram. Omega steps forward then, the spell chanted in a drone-like voice as an aura of black, blue and purple shifted about his form, slithering down his arms to pool at his hands. His fingers left black, oily afterimages in the air as they sketched glyphs, drawing on the ambient power to help form the portal back to earth that snaps into place and curtains open. Alpha is first through the portal, surveying the area around before waving for the Cardinal and Omega to exit. Earth and Air stay behind, defending the portal entrance from invaders on both sides._

_The air was hot, the earth still rumbling and shaking in aftershocks, and all around were the fallen trunks of trees, tossed to the ground like toothpicks before some horrifically immense giant._

_It was the thirtieth of June, 1908, at the Tunguska River in Siberia. A journey of mere minutes had brought them thousands of miles from their home castle._

_“Sister had said something of immense value would be found here, but I’m not sure what we could find amidst all of… this,” the Cardinal sighs, surveying the damage of the area. Whatever had happened, it was recent._

_“Cardinal, there is something,” Omega says, starting to pick his way through the fallen trees, tension coiling in his shoulders. Alpha picks up on his mate’s sudden change in demeanor, stalking after him while scanning the area for any nearby threats. Nihil follows, almost falling when his red cassock catches on a broken branch. He nearly runs into the ghoul’s back when he extracts himself, skirting around him to see what had stopped the ghoul in his tracks._

_“Sweet Lucifer,” he whispers, as he stands at the edge of a small crater in the earth. This was the epicenter of the event, parts of the ground still smoking, and the cause of it huddled in the burnt earth at the center._

_It was a man, or at least had the form of one. His pale skin was already bleeding off the golden light of divinity, the once magnificent set of white wings now broken and blackened. He was one of Heaven’s own sons, cast out for whatever reason and sentenced to die slowly, cut off from his holy brethren for the rest of eternity till death took pity upon him. Omega makes a sorrowful sound, already skidding down the shallow crater edge to offer what solace he could. Nihil follows, surveying the figure as Omega kneels down to pull his head into his lap. As he watched, the ends of snapped bones glowed like coals, the feathers dissolving on the gentle wind._

_“We’ll have to remove them, before they infect the rest of him,” Omega observes, shuddering in sympathy. He’d been through the same treatment centuries before, the twin scars on his back a testament to his origin. Nihil nods solemnly, pulling out the ornate sacrificial blade sheathed at his belt and offering the handle to the quintessence ghoul._

_“Hold him, he might try to fight,” Omega instructs him, switching places to allow the ghoul room to work. He hefts the blade as he traces the bones under the fallen angel’s skin before plunging the knife into flesh. He works with a dispassionate intensity, digging the blade deep to slice through the connective tissue at a joint, pulling the wing away with a series of wet cracks, pops, and snaps as if he were carving a roast bird. He flings the quickly disintegrating appendage away and begins work on the other, the angel twitching and groaning but otherwise not regaining consciousness as the last remnants of his former life are ripped bleeding from his body. Nihil watches as they continue to blacken and curl, like paper caught aflame, burning away into naught but ash on the wind._

_There’s a commotion up at the crater edge, demanding Nihil’s attention. There’s a man, disheveled and dirty teetering on the edge, shouting at them in an unknown dialect. He jerks back suddenly and there’s a cut off shriek, then a series of meaty crunches. Alpha reappears on the crater edge, waving at the two men._

_“Don’t worry, I got him,” he calls down, sliding down to join them. Omega’s power tugs at them both as he pools it in his hands, staunching the blood from the divots he’s carved into flesh._

_“We need to leave, I can’t finish this here.” Omega wipes the bloodied blade on his cassock, handing it back to Nihil to be sheathed once more at his belt. The two men heft the unconscious body over their shoulders, grunting in effort as they slowly traverse the shallow crater walls and begin the short journey back to the portal and the relative safety of Hell._

_“Alpha,” Omega pauses, calling to his mate. “They’ll be by once the ash settles. Use our… friend there,” he nods at the fresh corpse Alpha had made a minute prior, “and make it seem we haven’t taken our new brother.”_

_“Right,” Alpha nods, Nihil sparing a moment to marvel at how easily the fire ghoul let himself be ordered about before continuing to carry their heavy burden through the portal._

_Alpha slings the limp body over his shoulder, jumping down into the shallow pit and tossing the corpse to the earth where the fallen angel had laid. He rolls up his sleeves and grins as he calls his element to his hands, kneeling to grasp at the figure’s worn shoes and let the hungry fire catch. It eats at clothes and flesh hungrily, devouring every piece and leaving a greasy layer of ash in its wake. It wasn’t the best of coverups, but it would work in the short amount of time they were given. He lopes back to the portal, joining his brothers and the cardinal before it snaps shut, cutting them off from the surface world once more._

_\--_

_Cardinal Nihil watches from the end of the long room as Omega soothes and comforts the form curled onto a bed, sobbing incoherently. He imagined the man would be in something of a state for some time; it was noted in some of the old histories that their angelic counterparts did not fare nearly as well to exile as Hell’s minions tended to. The scars on his back were angry and red, Nihil swearing he could feel the pulse of agony that radiated from them._

_He turns and leaves, allowing the ghoul to offer solace to his new brethren._

_\--_

_“I… I don’t…” the man sighs, hunching over himself._

_“We do not wish to rush you, just to convey that this church is here for you, should you wish to stay,” Cardinal Nihil explains soothingly, giving the man a gentle smile. Omega stands nearby, a constant, calming presence to the fallen angel. A gleaming example of what he, too, could become, if he were to allow himself to be accepted into the arms of Lucifer._

_“Take your time. We acknowledge that it is not a decision made lightly, nor quickly, for your kind. But know that there are those who treasure you still and will gladly accept you with open arms.” Omega gives a small nod and the hint of a smile; Nihil had a way with words that could enthrall the most skeptical to their cause._

_“Thank you,” the man whispers, eyes downcast, the dark purple orbs glistening wetly._

_\--_

_“I… I just need to… I don’t know,” he sighs, shifting from foot to foot. The idea that he turn to the service of Satan, what he has been taught from conception to revile, churns nauseatingly in the pit of his stomach._

_“I know,” Omega says, remembering vaguely his own path to the church after his fall. He hands the man a satchel of supplies, enough to keep him going for a week if all went well. “Just remember, you can return at any time.”_

_“I… I appreciate it,” he says, giving Omega a weak smile before taking his first steps away from the stone steps of the church. He throws one last look over his shoulder, then hefts the satchel and trudges onward._

_\--_

_It’s raining, the sky rumbling in anger as lighting flashes through the clouds, a bitter chill settling into his bones. He’s wandered the earth for over four months, mixing into the human populace to try and find a niche where he can fit in. The longer he stayed amongst them, however, the more he came to recognize he was unsuited for their world. He was almost ready to curl up under a bridge and waste away, but the memory of a kindred soul beckoned him till his feet had moved on their own accord, bringing him to the carved granite steps of the imposing church he’d left months before._

_A young man in a cassock gives him a skeptical look but nonetheless allows him inside, leaving him in a room filled with pews before a richly decorated altar, candlelight casting a warm and inviting glow. Tired as he was he did not want to sit on the carved wooden seats, nor even stand near the woven rugs for fear of staining them with the mud and dirt dripping from his sodden clothes. Instead he stood at the back of the chamber, slouched upon himself and staring dejectedly at the floor._

_His heart lurches when the young clergyman returns with Omega in tow, the aura that flowed from him sweet and inviting as he rushes forward to embrace him. He lets his head fall to Omega’s shoulder as he crumbles, sobs wracking his shivering frame._

_“Shh,” Omega whispers, pressing a kiss to the side of his head and holding him gently, “You’re home now.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I love you all dearly and thank you for the comments and kudos, and for joining me in the Pit of Sin™ that is my tumblr (come join if you haven't already, if you'd like. Sin is best when shared with others amirite?) https://blacklight-ghoulette.tumblr.com/
> 
> Also, I literally googled angel names and picked two that I liked for Aether and his old... 'friend'. I've got no fucking clue at angel lore or anything I've been pulling all this shit outta my ass and running away with it.


	9. Price Paid in Flesh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A journey in becoming, in finding oneself and losing oneself.
> 
> And having a friend to offer a helping hand.  
>  _Literally._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some more flashback. I might add more of those, later.

_“I… I must admit, it’s all so different than… than what we’re taught,” he says, flipping through the ancient text with care. The pages are vellum and old, and he treats them with a special reverence that Air nods of approvingly._

_“I know, it takes a while to understand and become used to,” Omega concedes, sitting next to his new brethren at the heavy wooden desk. Air and Alpha lounge nearby; Air in case the fallen angel wanted to look through some other tomes, Alpha because he was secretly jealous of all the attention Omega was giving the newcomer._

_“I thought everything was going to be… I don’t know, death, torture, desecrating holy sites,” he mumbles, and Omega gives a quiet laugh._

_“The guys upstairs like to paint us in as bad a light as possible. Not that those things don’t happen, but there are motives behind all of our actions that are carefully planned out. We value rational thinking and logic, whereas Heaven prefers blind, unquestioning faith.” The quintessence ghoul flips through some of the pages, finding a few passages to use for examples. Before Omega can begin, though, he inhales sharply, squeezing his eyes shut as a jagged wave of pain radiates from his back. He hunches forward over the desk, letting his forehead fall to the wooden top and clutching at fistfuls of hair._

_“Just breathe, it’ll pass,” Omega murmurs, stroking at the nape of his neck as the fallen angel pants._

_“How much longer… will this…” he groans, shuddering as the pain fades only to crest again a second later._

_“It’s different for each of us. Mine took nearly a decade to fade entirely,” the old ghoul admits, heart clenching in sympathy. He’d at least had Alpha to curl around him, soothing the soul-deep agony away with tender kisses and deft fingers. It was tempting to make the same offer, but Omega knows that Alpha would not be receptive to it. His possessiveness of Omega was legend amongst the clergy._

_All he can offer is the gentle strokes of fingers and a bolstering presence till the pain fades, leaving him feeling wrung-out and his cheeks streaked with tears._

_\--_

_The thurible swings on the chain, filling the chamber with fragrant smoke. Five figures in hooded black robes drone a chant, the words unintelligible to his ears, each holding an unlit taper and standing at precise points on the circle scribed in the stone, the fallen angel kneeling supplicant in the center. The swell of power mixing with the incense is heady, making his head feel light and dizzy; if he weren’t already kneeling he’d have fallen over._

_“Our father, who art in Hell, unhallowed be thy name…” Cardinal Nihil intones, hands tracing symbols through the smoke. The ceremony was typically done by the Anti Pope himself, however his health had begun to fail and his son, the faithful Cardinal, had taken many of his duties on himself. The fallen angel finds it to be something of a relief; he’d found Nihil’s presence to be a comfort since he had first regained his senses after the fall._

_“We gather here to offer to you a new servant. Cast down from the glittering halls, forsaken by his holy father…”_

_The words hit home like a knife, a full-body shudder wracking his frame. He can’t even remember why he had been cast out, is unsure if it is a curse or a blessing to not have the memory. Cardinal Nihil’s voice goes on and he finds he cannot understand the words anymore, can only feel their cadence and the power that they weave around him like some artful tapestry. He watches as the five ghouls surrounding him make a sign with their right hand, waving the palm over their held tapers, a black and purple flame bursting to life on the wick. They hold the candle out before them and open their hand, yet instead of falling the candle floats on the haze-filled air. They ascend nearly to the ceiling, their unholy flames burning larger and brighter than any candle had a right to._

_The swirling energy tugs at his mind, bringing his eyes back to the altar laid out at the head of the room. An ornate chalice now rests atop the gilded surface, Nihil pouring a shimmering clear liquid into it from a silver carafe. Though he empties the carafe the chalice is only halfway filled, despite it being less than a third of the size of the carafe and not a drop of its mysterious contents spilt. The clergyman brings forth a knife, oddly unadorned and sheathed in supple black leather. Its blade seems to be made of carved stone, yet gleaming in the fey light like metal. He holds it out and one by one the hooded figures step up to the altar to take the knife, each dragging the blade along a bared forearm to slice into the flesh with a quick, sure motion. They hold the wound over the chalice to catch the falling blood then return to their previous positions. Nihil speaks and gestures over the goblet then takes up the sacrificial knife and cuts into his flesh, adding his own blood to the mix. He then takes the chalice in both hands and walks around the altar and into the pentacle, holding it out before the fallen angel._

_He does not know what it is Nihil says, but he knows that he must partake of the potion within the vessel. He takes it reverently in both hands, staring mesmerized by the swirling depths of silver and red before closing his eyes and bringing it to his lips._

_The liquid is warm, tasting of blood and salt, of acrid magic and something infinitely bitter. He gags on the first mouthful, pulling away but then there are hands everywhere, taking away the cup and grasping at him, tilting his head back and prying his jaws open. The liquid is poured down his throat, the robed figures holding him tightly though he tries to thrash as he gags and chokes, tears streaming down his face as he struggles to breathe. The divots in his back choose this moment to flare up, whether a side effect of the drought or just ill-timing he’ll never know, as all conscious thought is soon devoured by agony. His blood burns like acid in his veins, guts twisting and his bones creaking._

_He throws his head back and screams, shrieks agony to the void till his throat gives out, coughing and choking on his own blood. His bones break and shatter, tendons snapping and muscles and flesh ripped apart, eyes burst and eardrums rupture, teeth and nails cracking and shattering._

_He’s torn apart and unmade, melted down in a crucible of pain and suffering, sundered down to his very essence, to the torn tatters of his soul, to the small, pathetic thing no longer wanted by even his maker._

**_Ours_ ** _, a multitude of voices whisper, **brethren. Beloved.**_

_If he still had a voice, or even a throat to speak from, he’d cry out for the want, the love of them as they gather, piecing him back together, stitching his flayed soul back into a single scarred piece. He’s recast of sterner things, the impurities marring his self boiled away in anguish and torment, made hale and whole again by the swirling power that connects all things as one in the universe._

_He takes a gasping breath, filling his lungs with sweet, cold air as if it were the first he’s ever taken. The ache is there yet it is transformed into something else, quiet and manageable in the back of his mind. Blinking open his eyes he finds himself laid out on the floor, cradled in the arms of his newfound brothers. Their power wraps around him, coiled lovingly about his being, embracing him into their fold. His head is laid in Omega’s lap, the old ghoul’s hands carding gently through his sweaty hair._

_“Welcome home, Aether,” Omega intones, giving him a gentle, radiant smile._

_“Aether,” the others murmur, hands stroking his skin, lips being pressed to his own in greeting._

_He feels as if his heart would burst from the surge of emotions, of the overflow of love and belonging that fills him shining and resplendent._

_“Home,” Aether whispers, eyes fluttering shut as he drifts, safe and sound and **wanted** for the first time that he can plausibly remember._

_\--_

_“I don’t… I’m not…” Aether stutters, hands pressed over his trousers to try and hide the tented fabric as he blushes in mortification._

_“It’s not something to be ashamed of,” Cardinal Nihil tells him, tone kind and understanding. “To enjoy the pleasures of your mind and body are sacred things, else why would we even have them? Lucifer knows this and delights in the enjoyment of oneself.”_

_“Ah, um,” the new ghoul mumbles, still hunched over in embarrassment. Nihil hums, leading him down the hall and into his study with a gentle hand on his back._

_“Would you like some help,” he asks Aether, motioning to his poor attempts at hiding his erection._

_“I, uhm, I’m not…” Aether shudders, closing his eyes and taking a few deep, calming breaths. “Y-yes. Please, your Eminence.”_

_“No need for such formalities,” Nihil tsks, though he smiles to take the bite from the reprimand. He steps close, tipping Aether’s head back with a finger under his chin to press their mouths together. It’s nothing like the platonic kisses the other quintessence ghouls give each other in greeting, it’s warmer and slick, laden with the promise of things to come. When Aether flinches back to gasp for air the cardinal follows, the tip of his tongue tracing his bottom lip before they’re pressed together in another kiss._

_“If you wish to stop, at any time, just say so,” the clergyman whispers, mismatched gaze hooded as they share breaths. Aether can only nod in acceptance before they’re kissing again, Nihil’s tongue dragging at his lips to ask for entry, which he obediently gives. Fingers gently grip his hips as their tongues twine together, Aether noting that Nihil tastes of the small caramel candies that he keep stashed in his pants pockets. When they break apart Nihil presses light kisses to his jaw and down to his neck, grazing the barest hint of teeth along sensitive flesh as his hands work at the fastening of Aether’s pants._

_“Oh, my god,” the ghoul breathes, shuddering when Nihil slides his hand into his underwear and palms his stiff prick. He works the flesh gently, stroking it with light touches, tracing veins and the crown with a delicate fingertip. His other hand works the fabric of pants and underwear over the ghoul’s hips, freeing him from the cloth prison before sinking to his knees._

_“What, what are you,” Aether begins, then gasps sharply as Nihil drags his tongue across the head of his cock. “Oh, oh my… Jesus…”_

_“We need to teach you how to curse properly” the clergyman murmurs, leaning forward to begin to slide Aether’s cock into his mouth. The quintessence ghoul makes a choked sound, slapping his hands over his mouth to stifle the noises he makes as Nihil begins to suck him off. He squirms against the wall, panting as pleasure curls sweet and heavy in his gut, his cock throbbing in time with his racing pulse. It builds and builds till Aether thinks he’s going to explode, then something seems to snap and it all comes crashing down as he comes hard, hunching over the kneeling cardinal as his hips jerk erratically._

_Aether’s knees nearly give out when the aftershocks fade and Nihil lets him go with a last swipe of his tongue against his slit. His chest heaves as he gasps for air, the cardinal standing and tucking him back into his pants, redoing the buttons to make him presentable once again._

_“Did you enjoy that,” Nihil asks, a slightly smug tone in his voice. Aether can’t yet make his throat form a coherent sound and instead gives a shaky nod, scrubbing a hand through his hair as he works at regaining his composure._

_“That’s… wow,” he mutters once he can speak again, at a loss for words to describe it at all. Nihil chuckles, humming quietly as he leans forward and kisses Aether slowly._

_“And just think, there’s so much more to experience,” he says against soft lips, smirking as the ghoul shudders._

_\--_

_The first time they fuck is on the night of Nihil’s ascension to papacy._

_It’s a long, onerous day filled with endless ceremonies and celebrations that wear both of their patience thin. By the time the heavy doors of Nihil’s chambers closes with a heavy thud it’s all they can both do to not tear the exquisitely embroidered cloth of his chasuble in their haste to be rid of their clothing. Even Aether nearly rips his cassock on his sharp claws, the pulse of arousal zinging through his veins clouding his usual caution._

_When the newly appointed dark pope slides home with a thrust of his hips they both groan, Aether’s body worked over and loosened by deft fingers. Aether wraps his legs around slim hips as they buck forward, heels pressing to shapely buttocks to urge Nihil to go deeper and faster, pounding into his ass with vigor. He rakes his claws down the cleric’s back, using the precise amount of pressure that he’s found to send sparks down the other man’s spine. Sure enough it drags a low moan from Nihil’s throat, a hand wrapping around Aether’s cock to stroke him in time with the snapping thrust of hips._

_When it’s finally over, both men grunting low in ecstasy, spilling seed onto skin and into tight body heat, they lay together, kissing languidly as their pulses beat in time._

_It’s the first of many times they’ll lay together, basking in sweet fulfilment._

_\--_

The sisters minding the infirmary kick Ember out of Aether’s room the next morning, shooing him gently back to his own room to don the uniform someone had brought up from his room. He has a hard time with the buttons, even going slowly he’s barely managed the first one on his cassock when the door opens.

“Ah, glad to see one of you is up and moving,” Omega chuckles, reaching out to ruffle Ember’s hair affectionately. Normally he wouldn’t let anyone get away with being so friendly but Omega had an aura about him that reminds him of Aether, so the little fire ghoul lets the action slide. “Would you like some help there?”

Ember contemplates being stubborn and refusing the offered help with the buttons, but his stiffly bandaged hands were making the task ten times harder than it needed to be.

“Yes, please,” Ember mumbles, letting his hands drop to his sides as Omega steps close and works at the buttons. He has them done in short order and steps back a bit, giving Ember a kind smile.

“Can I see your hands, please? To see how they’re healing,” the quintessence ghoul asks, and Ember holds his left hand out without hesitation. Omega unfurls the bandage, gently peeling away the thick pad of gauze covering the wound. Ember watches curiously; he hasn’t seen the extent of the damage himself yet, having been knocked out cold each time the dressings had been changed. The scar is thick with rough, rigid edges that are blackened and twisted.

“I seem to have become something of a hand expert in the past year,” Omega laughs quietly as he runs his fingers over the scarred flesh gently. “The good thing is you have minimal corruption. Cauterizing the wounds immediately was the best thing you could have done in the situation.”

“Uh, thanks,” Ember says, hesitant. He can’t really remember anything after stumbling upon Aether about to be murdered by two angels, memory seeming to shut down then wake up after the fight was said and done.

“Bend your fingers for me, if you can. There you go, any pain? Feel like anything is pulling or tearing? No? Good.” Omega rubs his thumb into the scarred crease, making Ember hiss as pain blooms and his fingers twitch, only to gasp as the cold tingling of healing magic soothes the burn. The old ghoul gives his right hand the same treatment, wrapping both hands back in bandages as he’s done.

“They’ll be healed up soon enough, just be careful with them for the next week or so. I’ll ask if one of the earth ghouls can make you an ointment to help soften the scar tissue some,” Omega explains, walking with Ember to the double doors of the infirmary entrance with a hand placed at the small of his back, herding the small ghoul gently out into the hall. “Now, go back and get some rest. Your band members have been beside themselves with worry, best not to keep them waiting.”

“Yeah, alright,” Ember mumbles, feeling like Omega is trying to get rid of him as he strides back into the infirmary, heading down the hallway with purpose. He sighs, knowing he’d just be scolded if he was caught sneaking back into Aether’s room, and decides to go back to the apartment.

\--

Late in the afternoon, after being smothered and mother hen-ed by Zephyr and Earth all morning till he escaped to his bedroom feigning need for a nap, he slips out from the apartment and down the halls. He tries to seem like he’s not skulking as he enters the infirmary, heading for Aether’s room. Unfortunately, the door now has a guard, a brother and sister of sin looking horribly bored as they lounge in chairs flanking the doorway, the sister reading a book and the brother bouncing his head to music playing through a set of earbuds.

“No visitors allowed, per Sister Imperator,” the sister tells him haughtily, tilting back her head to look at him down her beak-like nose. He was ready to press the issue, but the threat that Sister Imperator would hear of it was heavy though nonverbal. So instead Ember sighs and nods, trudging back to the apartment with an empty feeling gnawing at his chest.

\--

The next morning the empty feeling has morphed into something else entirely, clawing tendrils that rake across his insides. His pulse throbs in his groin, each beat begging for Aether’s touch. He scurries down the hall, skidding to a stop at the infirmary doors when his fears are realized: Aether’s room still has a guard of two sisters sitting at the door.

“Can I—” he gasps, but the sister closest to him cuts him off.

“No visitors, please leave if you do not require medical attention,” she snaps, irritated. Ember growls at them, baring teeth, ready to fight them to gain entry to the room.

“Ghoul, I’d best think before you act,” the other sister intones as she stands, the grucifix at the end of her rosary beginning to glow with a purple light. The power grates along his synapses, making Ember hiss and shrink away. He retreats back out into the hallway, tail between his legs, whimpering to himself softly. He shutters himself in his bedroom, not bothering to change out of his uniform, curling up on his bed to try and soothe the ache that radiates throughout his being.

\--

“There's something wrong with Ember,” Rain says, shaking Blaze awake from his nap.

“Wha… what's going on,” the old ghoul grumbles, unhappy at the disturbance.

“Ember, something's wrong with him,” Rain repeats, shifting uneasily from foot to foot. His trepidation pulls Blaze awake, yawning as he stretches long arms and legs.

“Explain,” he tells Rain, and the water ghoul shifts uneasily, tail flicking to the sides.

“I went to ask him if he wanted dinner, but…” he fidgets, pulling at the hem of his cassock.

“But? Come on, spit it out,” Blaze murmurs, pulling Rain into his lap and nuzzling his neck.

“He’s… he smells… wrong,” the lanky ghoul finishes, shifting in agitation as he has trouble picking the correct words. Blaze sighs as Rain slides off his legs, hunching his shoulders and worrying at the claws on his left hand with teeth.

“Stop that, I’ll go look in on him,” Blaze chides, slapping at the water ghoul’s hands to keep him from biting his claws. He stands and gives Rain a gentle kiss before crossing the hall, knocking on the door to the small fire ghoul’s room.

“Ember? You alright,” he calls after the first knock goes unanswered, opening the door a fraction to peer inside. Ember is curled up on his bed still clothed in his cassock and pants, facing away from the door.

Stepping inside Blaze notes the sour smell of sweat and finds the small ghoul to be practically soaked in it, hair plastered to his head and cassock damp. He shudders when Blaze grips his shoulder, moaning quietly but not otherwise moving.

“Shit,” Blaze mumbles, worry clawing at his gut. He’d completely forgotten about the conversation with Aether at the hotel some weeks ago about the small ghoul’s unfortunate affliction. Rain sits back on his heels at the side of the bed, peering at Ember’s face forlornly.

“He aches,” the water ghoul says quietly, making a sad sound in the back of his throat as he reaches forward to peel a damp strand of hair from Ember’s face. The fire ghoul’s eyes flutter open, the gray orbs glassy and unfocused, whimpering as he licks at his chapped lips. “He needs Aether.”

“You can tell,” Blaze asks, giving Rain a sharp look. He’d not told a single soul what Aether had said to him that night, not wanting the information to get out amongst the band.

“You can… smell it, see it, if you know what to search for,” he says, subdued. His crystalline eyes glitter in the dim light, for once the emotion in them unreadable to Blaze. After a moment the old fire ghoul shakes his head to clear the jumble of thoughts, focusing instead on the immediate issue. He kneels onto the mattress to scoop up the small ghoul, hefting him against his chest with an arm around his shoulders, the other under his knees. Ember curls into him instinctively, trilling softly in distress. Blaze can’t help but notice how much lighter he seemed from when he’d picked him up off the concrete nearly a week ago, feeling as if his small frame seems more gaunt after the chain of events. He strides from the room with Rain in tow, who darts ahead to open the apartment door for him. As they near the doors to the infirmary Rain once again steps forward to get the door, however this time he shrinks back, baring his fangs in a grimace.

“They’ve got two guards on the door,” he hisses as Blaze steps up to peer through the window. He growls low in his throat, thinking of the best way to deal with the situation.

“Here, hold him,” Blaze says as he passes Ember to Rain. The water ghoul staggers, nearly falling over under the burden till Blaze helps him shift the small ghoul across his shoulders, piggy back. They both burst through the door, Blaze running ahead to the two sisters standing watch.

“Sister, we need help,” he shouts, gathering their attention. They startle at the noise, unused to seeing ghouls without their masks, but then rush over to help the water ghoul struggling under Ember’s meager weight.

“What’s wrong with him, what happened,” one asks, reaching forward to put a hand to the small ghoul’s forehead. Blaze takes that moment to strike, lashing out to jab at a series of pressure points. The sister falls limp, eyes rolling back in her head, the other just turning to see what had happened. He sets upon her, dropping her just as quickly as the first and dragging their unconscious forms into an empty room, making sure to stuff a pillow under their heads.

“Forgive me, sisters, but we’ve important matters to attend to,” he murmurs, closing the door and locking it from the outside. He then takes Ember from Rain, the lanky ghoul sighing in relief as his burden is removed as they quickly shuffle into Aether’s room. The quintessence ghoul rouses at the sound of the door being shut, lifting his head to blink blearily at them.

“Huh, what…” he mumbles, narrowing his eyes at the odd scene that his room has become.

“We got a problem,” Blaze growls, setting Ember in the chair pulled to the bedside. He looks to Rain, who simply nods and slips back outside, locking the door and sitting against as a guard.

“Ember, Ember are you…” Aether tries to reach out to the fire ghoul, but unable to stretch far enough.

“It’s the fixation,” Blaze explains as Ember stirs, glassy eyes lifting to snap onto Aether’s as he feels the quintessence ghoul’s aura sliding cool and soothing against his skin.

“ _Shit,_ ” Aether groans, his chest wound just recently beginning to really heal but still severely limiting his movements. “This is some bad timing.”

“My thoughts exactly,” the old ghoul sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. “What can I do to help?”

“I don’t think I can actually, ah…” Aether hovers his hands at his hips, mimicking a thrusting motion with them.

“What if he rides you, would that work,” Blaze asks, striding to the drawers and cabinets against the other wall, rifling through them till he finds a bottle of lubricant and stuffs it in a pocket.

“Uh, I guess?” Aether’s cheeks are flushed with embarrassment; he has yet to really become accustomed to the ghoul’s casual approach to sex amongst each other. Were the situation different Blaze would tease him for it, perhaps even try and see how far he could push the boundaries, but as it was…

Ember finally begins to stir, movements slow and exaggerated as he shakes his head, the fixation haze beginning to fade slightly in Aether’s presence. He’s still sweating heavily, panting softly for air as he tries to reach for the quintessence ghoul, only for his knees to give out and dump him onto the floor.

“Has it ever been this bad,” Blaze asks, kneeling to help the small ghoul as he grunts in pain when his palms slap onto the hard tile.

“Not, not like _this,_ but… there was one time after the concert before the, uhm, the attack. He was… unhinged, I guess,” Aether’s eyes narrow as he recalls the event, remembering the wild look in the small ghoul’s eyes as he nearly fucked himself to oblivion. “Desperate, like if he… no, _we_ , didn’t fuck he would… lose it, or something.” He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before adding in a quiet, subdued tone, “He hurt himself in the frenzy. He wouldn’t say it, but you could tell.”

Blaze rumbles low in his throat, worried at how far it’s seemed to have progressed as he works at the buttons of Ember’s cassock and pants, peeling the clothing away before sitting in the chair and pulling the small ghoul into his lap. As an afterthought, he reaches over the flips off the power to the heart monitor beeping quietly at the bedside.

“I’ll prep him, try and keep him from going too crazy if possible,” Blaze sighs, fishing the lube from his pocket and popping the cap. The situation was beginning to unravel, but they had to clear this bout away before they could really address the issue. He coats his fingers in the slippery liquid and brushes Ember’s tail to the side.

“Shh,” Blaze rumbles when the smaller ghoul hisses at him, blinking through the fog to narrow eyes as slick fingers slide between his butt cheeks. “Gotta get you slick, open you up all nice and loose for him. You want that, yeah?”

“Yessss,” Ember moans as Blaze presses his middle and index fingers into his ass, thrusting in and out of his tight hole in quick strokes that make the small ghoul writhe. He scissors his fingers apart, stretch the walls of his anus open and adding a third finger, idling wondering how long he could string Ember along for, have him panting and begging to have a cock shoved up his ass and fuck him senseless. He finds an odd pleasure at the idea, shelving it to possibly explore later once they break the frenetic hold the fixation has on the smaller ghoul’s mind.

“You ready for that fat cock,” Blaze asks, Ember moaning and clenching around his fingers in response. “You’re gonna have to do all the work, alright? Can you do that for him? Can you fuck yourself on his cock like a good little slut?”

“Jesus, Blaze,” Aether groans, rolling his eyes as Ember trills sharply in response. The old fire ghoul chuckles quietly, glancing around the ghoul in his lap to glance at the bedridden Aether. He has the sheet thrown down to his feet, stroking gently at his dusky cock as it stands rigid in his hand.

“Just remember, you gotta go slow okay? You don’t wanna hurt him, gotta be gentle.” Ember shudders, taking a deep breath to whisper, “Yeah, alright.” It’s good enough for Blaze, and he looks over to Aether again.

“Ready,” Blaze asks him and the quintessence ghoul nods. He extracts his fingers from Ember’s hole and stands, grunting as he lifts Ember onto the bed so that he doesn’t jostle Aether too much. The small ghoul straddles Aether’s hips, scooting forward to lean in and kiss him, all sloppy and nearly frantic. Blaze settles back in the chair, close by and ready to step in should things start to devolve.

Ember shifts back, taking the bottle of lube that Blaze holds out to him, popping the cap and pouring a generous amount on Aether’s dick. As promised he moves carefully, though his muscles twitch and spasm for him to abandon all rational thought and throw himself at the prone ghoul beneath him and take what he aches so hard for by force. He spreads his knees and reaches back, holding Aether’s thick cock up as he slides down and his body opens up around it, welcoming the stretch and burn of it. When his ass is finally flush with Aether’s balls he begins to slowly roll his hips, head lolling back as he revels in the feeling of being filled full, of the scrape and press of the head along his walls. Going slow has its own kind of intensity, completely different but no less exciting than if he were frantically pumping Aether’s prick into his ass.

“Oh god you feel good,” Aether breathes, hands clutching at strong thighs as they straddle his hips. He gently runs his claws over the taut flesh, making Ember shudder and his hips hitch forward faster. Time seems to dissolve, with only the sounds in the room their harsh panting, the wet squelch of Ember bouncing on Aether’s cock, and the meaty smack of balls slapping onto buttocks. It feels like years, millennia before they both begin to feel the stirrings of orgasm in their guts, the coiled pleasure tightening and making them groan and pant for air. There’s a commotion from the other side of the door that plucks at Aether’s attention, though he ignores it as Ember makes a strangled trill. The smaller ghoul leans forward, arms bracing on the bed as he picks up his pace, fucking himself hard and fast onto Aether’s cock as his carefully held control dissolves and the need to come eats at him from the inside. Aether reaches down and grasps his cock, slick and dripping obscenely with precome.

“Oh Jesus, look at you,” Aether pants, stroking Ember’s cock, trying to match the erratic rhythm of his hips. “So pretty, so good on my cock, fuck.” He reaches his other hand out to cup the smaller ghoul’s face, tracing his thumb along his bottom lip till Ember sucks it into his mouth, tongue lapping against the calloused pad.

“Come for me, love,” he whispers, feeling his orgasm approaching fast and the fire ghoul groans, shuddering and his hips stuttering as he comes over Aether’s hand. Aether groans, falling over the edge at the same time as fangs bite into his thumb reflexively, bucking his hips up to bury himself deep as he can inside Ember’s body, spending himself in the wondrously tight heat. Basking in the post-orgasmic haze the two ghouls don’t notice the lock snapping open with a loud sound and the door being pushed open. Omega strides in dragging Rain by his collar, face red in anger.

“What in the _devil_ are you two doing,” the old ghoul growls, nostrils flaring as he takes in the thick scent of sex filling the small room and glaring at the two naked ghouls on bed.

“I tried,” Rain gasps, trying in vain to pry Omega’s hand from his cassock.

“I can explain everything,” Blaze says as he stands, holding his hands up as a pair of blue eyes bright with anger snap onto him.

“Start talking,” Omega hisses, dropping his hold on Rain to cross his arms over his thick chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this out so much better in my head at work one day but when I sat at my desk to actually get it down all I got was mostly incoherent. I think I managed to pull something alright from it in the end, though?


	10. Ameliorate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy fucksticks this has been... like... a goddamn monster of a chapter. Not in length but in the fact that it just did not want to get written, and it still just feels... half-assed. Or something. I apologize for the delay, hopefully the next won't be so bad?

_Aether is standing watch over a group of children, orphans taken in by the church that others didn’t seem to want, when he first catches sight of him. He’s wearing a fitted black suit and crisp white button down shirt, tie black and thin as was the current fashion. He’s the first person with darker skin he’s seen in the church, his hair pulled into thick corded braids and gathered at his nape. Aether stands to ask what the man needs but he walks swiftly toward the back of the hall leading into the deeper chambers of the church, looking as if he knows perfectly well where he’s going._

_“Brother, brother Aether,” one of the boys calls, waving at him for his attention. “We finished, just like you asked! Show us again, please?”_

_The other children join in, begging and pleading sweetly to the quintessence ghoul. He gives them a kind smile, though they cannot see it beneath the black cowl and mask over his head._

_“Fine, once more. Then we work on arithmetic, understood,” he says, and the gaggle of children agree excitedly. Aether holds a hand out and pools power into his palm, gathering it in oscillating tendrils of purple and black. With a flick of his wrist he sends it skyward, lets the tendrils coalesce into the vague shape of something dragon-like, wings and long tail stretching out as it flies a short circuit around Aether’s head. The quintessence ghoul snaps and it gives a soundless roar before bursting into a shower of golden sparks that fade before they can fall to the floor. The group of children gasp and cheer, clapping tiny hands and cheering in wonder at the spectacle._

_When Aether looks up the man has stopped with one hand on the carved door handle, his eyes glittering and flickering like a bonfire, gaze boring into Aether with a near violent intensity. After a moment Aether shivers and the man bares his teeth in a silent snarl, jerking on the door handle and disappearing into the bowls of the castle. Aether shudders again, his attention pulled back to the children when one pulls at his fascia, whining that another child has taken his pencil._

_\--_

_“They’re right little monsters,” Alpha grunts, making a face that has Aether and Omega both chuckling._

_“Can you imagine, having **him** watching over a classroom,” Omega says, Alpha grumbling from where he’s seated, laying across a leather loveseat on his side. Safely ensconced from prying eyes in the wing of the castle set aside for the ghouls, their masks are removed and their cowls thrown back. Aether and Omega had offered to watch over the children for a few days while the older sister of sin that normally taught them was away on family business and were sitting reading through the small stack of papers they had gathered._

_They’re interrupted when the heavy door the common room is pushed open and the man Aether had seen earlier strides in, looking annoyed as he pulls at his thin tie._

_“Fucking hell,” he grumbles, rolling his shoulders as his glamor sloughs off, revealing a tail that twitched back and forth agitatedly and the small curved horns that Aether has noted all the ghouls to have._

_“How was your trip, looks like you had tons of fun, huh,” Alpha asks, snickering when the ghoul makes a face and rolls his eyes._

_“If I have to go see another lawyer in my lifetime, I will eat them,” he rumbles, fingers deftly working at the small buttons of his shirt._

_“Welcome home,” Omega greets, giving the ghoul a large smile. The newcomer grunts in reply, nodding in the quintessence ghoul’s direction. His back stiffens as he looks over, his eyes snapping onto Aether._

_“Who,” he growls, voice gravely and menacing to Aether’s ears, “are you?”_

_“Ah, this is our newest brother, Aether,” Omega introduces, “Aether, this is Blaze.”_

_“A pleasure to meet you.” Aether gives Blaze a wide smile, nodding to him. Blaze gives another grunt, not seeming to be the friendliest of ghouls, walking past to head further into the castle. He pauses as he passes by Aether, nostrils flaring as he catches a very particular scent._

_Aether has no warning. One minute he’s sitting, smiling at a crude drawing of him one of the children had made, the next there’s a vice-like grip around his throat, cutting off his air and dragging him up, slamming him into a wall. The back of his head collides with the stone, stars bursting across his eyes and pain spiking down his skull and spine. He makes a strangled noise, grasping at the hand at his neck, trying to loosen the fingers around his neck._

_“BLAZE, NO,” Omega shouts, the sound oddly disjointed and muffled through the pounding of his pulse in his ears. There’s some scuffling and the angry ghoul growls threateningly, but the hand falls away and Aether gasps for air desperately. His knees give out and he slides along the wall, going dizzy and light headed as he struggles to get oxygen back into his lungs. When his vision finally clears up he finds Omega kneeling before him looking worried._

_“What,” Aether rasps, though Omega shushes him as he runs gentle fingers through his hair to the back of his head._

_“It’s alright, you’re fine, just breathe, deep and slow, alright,” the old ghoul croons as his power flows from his fingers, sweet and cold, soothing the throbbing in his skull. Aether shudders, taking a deep, shaky breath as he struggles to regain control of himself. Looking over Omega’s shoulder he spies Alpha dragging a struggling Blaze away, arms and claws grasping at a now horribly disheveled suit._

_“Can you stand,” Omega asks, offering an arm as Aether stumbles to his feet. “Let’s get you back to your room, laying down will help.” Aether leans heavily on the other quintessence ghoul’s shoulder as Omega leads him back to his small bedroom._

_“What did I do,” Aether asks, once he’s laid out on his bed. Omega pauses on his way out, then shuts the door and comes to sit on the edge of the bed._

_“It’s not your fault,” the old ghoul sighs, looking at his hands. “Blaze… he doesn’t deal with us… the fallen, very well anymore. Your… aura, your smell, probably still resembles the divine enough for him to notice.”_

_Omega goes silent for a moment, chewing at his bottom lip as he thinks over his words with care._

_“They… the divine, they killed his mate,” Omega says, voice quiet and forlorn. Aether doesn’t quite understand the implications, but he can recognize that the subject is very sensitive._

_“Oh, I’m… I’m sorry,” he mumbles, shifting on the covers._

_“There’s nothing you can do, nothing to apologize for. It’s been what, a hundred years almost? He’s better just… sometimes things remind him. It’s a wound that will take a long time to heal, if it ever does.”_

_Omega stands and runs a hand over his neck, sighing before turning to give Aether a tired smile._

_“Get some rest, I’ll look in on you later.”_

_\--_

_“Again?” Aether looks at the cup Omega sets on the table before him, smoke curling from the surface of the shimmering liquid._

_“It’s not nearly as bad as the first, trust me. But it is necessary,” the older ghoul explains. “Just like how the divine will sow corruption into the flesh of the hellbound, so too will exposure to their energies spread corruption through us of heavenly origin. The first drought instills the bloodbond, ties you to each of us and to the clergy. As you can no doubt remember, we have something of a… violent reaction, to it.”_

_Aether shudders, recalling acutely the sensation of being torn apart only to be stitched back together again._

_“The… metamorphosis… into a ghoul is an arduous process. Due to the toxicity of their power, we can’t just take it all in one go; the corruption would overpower us, eat us alive. So we’ve managed to address that issue by breaking it up into two additional, smaller doses.”_

_“So, after this one there’s still one more to take?” Aether drags the cup forward with a finger, watching the tendrils of silver, gold, and black swirl within._

_“Yeah. Two weeks is the minimum time between each dose; too soon and the corruption will begin to take. These will bring the physical transformations. You know,” Omega grins to show off his fangs and points to the horns curving gently from his forehead. “I see you already have your claws, too. Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. You might feel weird, maybe get sick a bit, but it won’t kill you.”_

_“Right, well, no reason to put it off,” Aether sighs, picking the cup up and bringing it to his mouth. He doesn’t smell it this time, even debates pinching his nose shut to keep from tasting it as much as possible; though it has been nearly six months since he’d taken the initial potion he still remembers its’ vile taste intensely. There was no group to hold him down and pour the concoction down his throat should he be unable to force it down himself. Taking a deep breath, he tips his head back and lets it slide down his throat, working to swallow the stuff before he can have a chance to discern the taste._

_“Ugh,” he groans, setting the now empty cup down onto the table. “I don’t suppose there’s anything we can do to improve the flavor?”_

_“If only,” Omega laughs, patting Aether on the back. The potion sits heavy and sour in his stomach, making him grimace in discomfort. The old ghoul pulls a chair over to lounge nearby as Aether goes back to reading through an old book, keeping an unobtrusive eye on the young ghoul. After a while it seems Aether’s stomach settles, replaced instead by a buzzing energy that prickles down his spine._

_“I think I’ll walk around some,” he mumbles, stretching his arms over his head. Omega hums in response, waving as Aether pulls on his mask and cowl over his head before heading out into the hall. He wanders the dark passageways, nodding to fellow ghouls and the smattering of brothers and sisters he passes, letting his feet carry him where they wished._

_He ends up going up a few staircases and out a side door, walking out onto a balcony bathed in brilliant, warm sunshine. He pushes his cowl back and pulls the mask off, tilting his head back to soak in the breeze and sun._

_He hears a noise to the side, an annoyed snort, and he looks over, flinching back when he finds Blaze lazing on a bench set against the wall, eyes the color of honey feeling like they are staring holes right through his soul._

_“Oh, I’m… I’m sorry, uh… I-I didn’t see you,” Aether stammers, backing away till his legs bump into the low balcony wall. He swears that his neck twinges, though the bruising has been long healed by Omega. The potion in his gullet takes this moment to writhe, feeling as if tendrils start burrowing into his guts. Aether gasps, hunching forward as pain ignites from his back, radiating down and mixing with the sensation in his stomach, the clawing tendrils feeling as if they’re now slithering up his spine, digging into the scarred flesh of his back, pulsing as if trying to burst free from his skin. He groans, the world beginning to tilt at an angle, nausea mixing in with the throbbing pain that spikes higher and higher as his heartbeat races._

_When his brain finally shuts everything down, drowning out all the sensations in blessed darkness, Aether would have cried for the relief, had he any control over his faculties. As it were, he has only the vaguest hint of falling before all is lost in oblivion._

_Consciousness returns to him sometime later, in slow bits and pieces._

_He wakens to find him self curled on the rough stone floor, his head laying on something soft and warm. He’s sobbing, chest heaving and aching tightly as he struggles to breathe and tears streak down his face. Hands stroke at his hair, trying to be soothing and gentle but there’s a hesitation to them, as if whoever it is does not know what they should be doing. Aether shudders and keens low in his throat, feeling adrift and alone, drowning in a sea of turbulence._

_“Shh,” a deep voice rumbles, calloused fingers stroking his wet cheek gently. Aether becomes aware that he’s laid out in Blaze’s lap, head pillowed on muscular thighs. He tenses up involuntarily, waiting for the hand to reach down and grasp at his throat again, for claws to bite into his flesh._

_“Stop that,” Blaze grumbles when Aether makes another small noise, “I’m not going to hurt you. I’d have let you crack your head on the floor if that was the case.”_

_“I…” Aether starts, but the words catch in his throat. His next attempt at speaking is interrupted by the door slamming open and heavy footsteps rushing onto the balcony._

_“Aether? Shit,” a voice calls. He feels Blaze shift under his head and squeezes his eyes shut, whimpering softy as the ache in his bones grows, making his fingers clutch at the rough fabric of his cassock. He can just barely make out Omega and Blaze speaking, the words unintelligible through the fog of pain but he can discern the cautious tone of Omega’s voice. Aether cries out when he’s shifted, tendrils crawling throughout his insides squirming in irritation, screeching at him as burning claws rake into his mind. But then it calms, chased away by the soothing presence of his fellow quintessence ghoul. Aether curls into Omega as the old ghoul takes him in his arms, whispering to him softly as he brushes at tearstained cheeks with a thumb._

_Darkness comes again, and this time he does let out a shuddering sigh of relief._

_\--_

_“Will… be alright?”_

_“…bad reaction… don’t know…”_

_His head throbs, twin spikes of pain shooting from his forehead. He groans, unable to open his eyes through the pain, shifting from side to side to try and find relief. None is forthcoming and he begins to thrash, finding his arms and legs bound tightly to his sides. Panic thrums in his veins, increasing his heartrate and making the pain in his head spike harder, causing him to twist harder to try and free himself._

_“…hurt himself…”_

_“Stop… don’t let…”_

_“Quiet… calm down…”_

_Something soft and sweet smelling is pressed over his face and the disjointed voices fade, oblivion rushing up to meet him with open arms._

_\--_

_“Ugh,” Aether groans, rolling onto his side. The bed he’s in is soft, the sheets silky against his skin; after a moment he’s able to think properly, noting that the fabric he was laying on was too nice to be either the infirmary or the linens given to the ghouls. He’s finally able to blink his eyes open, squinting in the dim light cast by an oil lamp on a side table nearby._

_“Ah, finally awake I see,” Papa Nihil murmurs from the side. Glancing over Aether finds the cleric sitting up against the headboard of the bed, a pair of delicate reading glasses perched on his nose and a thick book held in his lap._

_“What… what happened,” Aether asks, extracting a hand from the covers to rub at his head and chase away the phantom echoes of the pain that he remembers all too acutely. His fingers brush against something smooth and hard, a jolt of sensation sliding down his nerves and making him flinch._

_“Hah, careful, those are quite sensitive to your kind,” Papa chuckles, watching Aether examine his newly grown horns with careful fingers. He closes the book and sets it on the bedside table, folding the glasses and laying them on top before he turns back to Aether._

_“Ahh, a lovely set you’ve grown,” the dark pope says, voice deep and just above a whisper as he reaches out and traces the dark-colored bone delicately with a finger. Aether shudders, inhaling sharply as the touch sends a thrill of arousal down his spine. He makes a quiet noise of pleasure when Nihil’s finger strokes against his new horn with increasing pressure, tilting his head into the touch and shifting under the covers, delicious heat pooling in his groin. The cleric chuckles again and leans over the bulk of Aether’s body to kiss him, the quintessence ghoul moaning quietly as he parts his lips for Nihil’s tongue. A devious hand slips under the waistband of Aether’s underwear to palm his growing erection, thumb stroking him from slit to balls. Aether ends up pulling away first from Nihil’s hot mouth, panting for air as his hips hitch to rub his cock against the cleric’s hand._

_“Oh Chri—fuck…” the quintessence ghoul whimpers as the hand is removed from his dick and he watches with hooded eyes as Papa pulls away to rid himself of his casual vestments and procure a small jar of lubricant. Aether shoves the bedcovers down to the foot of the bed, Nihil pausing to help Aether shuck his own shirt and underwear before he straddles the ghoul’s hips._

_“Ah, you’ve learned some new words I see,” Nihil chuckles, mismatched gaze raking over the defined lines of Aether’s chest and stomach. He takes both of their cocks in hand, stroking them together slowly, grinning at how the quintessence ghoul moans and writhes under his touch. He has half a mind to drag this out and tease the young ghoul, to have him moaning and begging for him desperately. Though, given the events of the past two days, he decides to give him a break and reaches for the jar of lube. He dips two fingers in, scooping up a bit of the slippery substance that smells faintly of mint as he shuffles back and spreads the ghoul’s legs wide._

_“Let’s see just how much you’ve extended your vocabulary,” the dark pope murmurs, rubbing the slick into Aether’s hole. By the time Nihil has him slick and open around his fingers the quintessence ghoul is panting, chest heaving as he digs his claws into the sheets._

_“So sensitive,” Nihil purrs, stroking his own cock to slick it with the lube he scoops from the pot. He wipes his fingers on Aether’s thigh afterwards as he grips the ghoul’s legs, spreading him wide and pushing into him with a sharp thrust of his hips. He sighs in pleasure as his prick is enclosed in Aether’s tight heat, humming quietly as he picks a rhythm that’s quick yet not punishing, watching the ghoul moan and writhe underneath him with a half-lidded gaze. He reaches upwards once the ghoul is close to orgasm, stroking the hard curved edge of one of the horns in time with his thrusts. Aether shudders and comes with a moan, hands clutching at Nihil’s thighs as he clenches tight around the dark pope’s cock._

_“The sounds you make… music to my ears,” Nihil groans and thrusts into him shallowly, pulling out when Aether whines at the overstimulation. He takes his cock in hand and strokes himself till he comes, spilling his seed over Aether’s stomach to mix with the streaks of his cum already decorating his skin. He then falls to the bed beside Aether with a contented sigh, taking a few moments to regain his composure before leaning over and snatching a handkerchief from the bedside table and using it to mop up the mess cooling on the ghoul’s stomach. He tosses the soiled cloth to the side and leans down to drag the covers up from the foot of the bed, waiting till Aether snuggles close and tucks himself up against his side before pulling the sheet and blanket over the both of them._

\--

Ember nuzzles lazily at Aether’s skin, tongue darting out to lick at his clavicle as he’s pressed gently to the quintessence ghoul’s side. They’d shifted as Blaze had begun to explain the situation to Omega, Ember climbing off Aether’s hips to snuggle against his side, legs twined together and the sheet thrown over them to give a modicum of decency.

“Christ,” Omega sighs, rubbing a hand through his short hair. “Why haven’t you told anyone about this sooner?”

“I only found out about a week before the attack,” Aether sighs, shaking his head as he runs his fingers through Ember’s hair. “I thought we had it under control and we were in the middle of the tour. What else could we have done?”

The old quintessence ghoul sighs again, regarding the small fire ghoul still basking in the afterglow. “I’ll talk to Air, see if he can find anything on how to mitigate the fixation if it doesn’t seem to abate. In the meantime… Just… be safe.” Omega shakes his head gently before he leaves, Aether and Blaze both breathing a sigh of relief when the door clicks shut. Rain makes a quiet sound from where he’s curled around Blaze’s feet on the floor, head lying in the old fire ghoul’s lap.

“Well then… guess we just have to wait to see what happens,” Blaze mutters, running his claws through Rain’s hair. Aether shifts slowly in the bed, snuggling up closer to Ember and humming quietly, the events of the afternoon wearing him out.

“I’ll bring you both some fresh clothes, they should be letting you go tomorrow,” Blaze comments, standing once Rain has extracted himself from his legs.

“Good, I’m dying for a shower,” Aether yawns, pressing his nose into Ember’s hair and inhaling his scent deeply. Blaze says something else but Aether is already drifting, pulled down into the waiting embrace of sleep.

\--

Aether opens his mouth to say he was perfectly capable of getting a shower by himself, ready to protest being coddled any more than he has been for the past five days. Ember, however, doesn’t even give him the chance as he kicks the bathroom door shut and begins stripping, leaving Aether to stand with his mouth gaping as he drags his eyes down long, pale limbs and exposed skin.

 “You gonna shower with your clothes on, or do you need help getting them off?” Ember tilts his head as he looks Aether up and down for a moment before going to start the shower, fiddling with the knobs till he gets the temperature set how he likes it. He then turns and comes back to Aether, reaching up to begin working the buttons of the shirt with still-stiff fingers.

“I can get it,” Aether mumbles, though he makes no move to stop the smaller ghoul from pushing the shirt over his shoulders once he finishes the buttons. Ember pauses once the shirt falls open and traces the outer edge of the darkened flesh of the scar that starts at Aether’s left shoulder, a quiet sound of distress coming from low in his throat. The quintessence ghoul gives a quiet exhale, bringing his hands up to cup Ember’s face and tilt his head back just enough to kiss him gently. Deft fingers work at the button and zip of his pants, pushing them and his underwear down over his hips and making his breath hitch as he parts his lips to deepen the kiss. He’s left confused when Ember pulls away though he gives Aether a cheeky grin.

“Come on, don’t want to waste all the hot water,” the fire ghoul says, pulling Aether into the shower once he’s kicked the clothes around his ankles off. The water is hot to the point of almost scalding, the heat sinking into and loosening Aether’s tense and tired muscles. He gives an audible sigh of relief and contentment, humming as Ember begins lathering him up with soap that smells of eucalyptus and mint. His hands are oddly clinical as they massage the suds into his skin, working to wash off the thin layer of grime and sweat that’s accumulated over the past week in the infirmary, rinsing away the stink of antiseptic and aetheric energy that was layered atop the scent of blood.

Aether groans as Ember’s fingers wrap and slide around his half-hard cock and balls, gently soaping him up, then skating around his hips and down his backside and into the cleft of his ass. He actually whines when Ember pulls away, enjoying the touch of his fingers and wanting him to continue.

“Later,” Ember promises as he pulls Aether’s arm to turn him around. He notes that the glamor is back in place, hiding the massive scars on his back under a thin layer of gently shimmering magic. Ember has to bite his tongue softly to keep from asking about them, deciding to wait awhile longer so as to not stress the quintessence ghoul as he recovers.

“Would never have imagined our roles to be so quickly reversed,” Aether huffs, chuckling quietly as Ember snorts and rolls his eyes, kneading soapy fingers into the tense muscles of Aether’s back. He steps away once he reaches his lower back to begin scrubbing vigorously at his own skin, wanting time to properly clean his hair before the hot water inevitably runs out. Aether leans into the spray of hot water, rinsing off the soap as Ember works on his long tresses, stepping back to let him duck into the water to rinse out the shampoo before pulling away and working a conditioner into it. As Ember lets the conditioner set in Aether steps closer and gingerly grasps at one of his hands, turning it palm up and hissing quietly as he runs his fingers across the thick ridge of scar tissue bisecting it horizontally.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore,” Ember assures him, though Aether can’t help the spike of guilt that threads through him.

“I’m sorry,” he says quietly, raising the hand to press a kiss to the scarred palm. Ember rolls his eyes and sighs, though he doesn’t try to protest the apology as he knows that Aether would just argue with him otherwise. Instead he leans back into the water to rinse out the conditioner, shutting it off just as the hot water begins to run out. He helps Aether out of the shower and snatches up a towel from the rack nearby and begins to towel him off, patting lightly at the long scar to keep from aggravating it. Once Aether is mostly dry he grabs his own towel and rubs the water out of his hair before wiping the moisture from his skin.

“Thank you,” Aether concedes as he watches Ember run a comb through his damp hair, eyes drifting down the lithe lines of his back. He seems even thinner than Aether remembers, the lines of his ribs and the knobs of his spine much more prominent than when he’d watched the fire ghoul in the hotel bathroom. He steps close and runs his fingers down Ember’s sides, counting each rib on the way down till he rests his hands on sharp hipbones.

“Come to bed,” he murmurs into the smaller ghoul’s ear, lips tracing the shell lightly. Ember shudders under his touch and takes a short, shaky breath.

“Are you—” he begins, though Aether cuts him off by nuzzling at his neck.

“I’m fine. Please? Just…” the bigger ghoul sighs, tired of being coddled. He knew they should do something to keep the fixation at bay, not wanting to wait till it had overrun Ember’s mind to sate. And, he was grudgingly willing to admit, he wanted the smaller ghoul himself. Craved his touch and scent and taste, ached to be inside of him. Aether’s half hard again just thinking about it and steps closer to press their bodies together, making Ember shudder as he feels Aether’s cock against his tail.

“Yeah,” the smaller ghoul breathes, turning around to take Aether’s head in both hands and press their lips together in a slow kiss. Their breath has quickened once they pull apart, Ember darting forward to press another kiss, this one quick and wet, against Aether’s lips before taking one of his hands and guiding the quintessence ghoul back to his bedroom.

“Do you want me on top again,” he asks, voice rough already as arousal thrums in his veins. “Or do you think you’re fine enough to... um…”

“I’m fine,” Aether mumbles against Ember’s lips, pushing the smaller ghoul back onto his mattress. “If it gets too much I’ll let you know, promise.”

Ember nods and leans over to reach into the drawer of his nightstand, tossing a small bottle of lube to the sheets before laying back and spreading his legs for the quintessence ghoul, displaying his erection in an invitation.

“Oh Lucifer, you’re sinful,” Aether groans as he settles onto the mattress between those skinny legs, running his hands up supple thighs before scooping up the bottle of lube. He pours some onto his fingers, claws already safely tucked away under glamor before he rubs the slick substance into Ember’s hole. The smaller ghoul purrs and shudders at the sensation, spreading his legs as wide as they’ll go to give Aether as much room as he wants to move about. The quintessence ghoul goes slow but now has a pretty good grasp of Ember’s limits, pressing into him with two fingers instead of a single one and working at opening him up as he coats his insides with slick. The smaller ghoul moans, tail flicking and thumping at the mattress at the push and stretch of Aether’s fingers inside him, hips already twitching and muscles spasming around the thick digits. Aether croons gently to him, stroking his thumb down the underside of his cock and down the soft sack of his balls to make Ember writhe beneath him.

“F-fuck,” Ember groans, wanting Aether to both get on with it and shove his cock in his ass, but also just slowly fuck him open with his fingers. Aether chuckles quietly as he pulls his fingers loose and pouring more lube into his palm to slick his cock.

“Ready,” he asks, voice husky as he teases the head against Ember’s hole. The fire ghoul writhes against the bed, claws digging into the sheets.

“Yes, please,” he moans, wrapping his legs around Aether’s waist as the bigger ghoul presses inside of him. Aether groans low in his throat as he bottoms out; no matter how many times they come together like this he’ll never become used to just how tight Ember is around his cock. He gives a light shudder before moving, fucking slowly into the smaller ghoul with short, shallow thrusts, giving him time to adjust to his size and relax around him. Ember is needy, however, and taps his heels into Aether’s ass to urge him to move, tail wriggling and slapping at the sheets as he groans. The quintessence ghoul snorts and complies, though still keeping the pace slow and measured, enjoying how Ember writhes and moans quietly for him to go harder, faster. The last few times had been so quick and frantic, and while they were pleasurable Aether much prefers the soft, languid pace that allows him to catalog each movement and sound the small fire ghoul makes.

“Ngh, please,” Ember whines after what feels like half an eternity of leisurely thrusts, wanting the bigger ghoul to put his considerable strength into his movements and fuck him hard enough that he can’t walk straight for the rest of the day. Wants him to grip his hips hard enough to leave fingerprint-shaped bruises, wants him to dig claws into his skin and leave bite marks peppered across his neck and shoulders. But the words stick in his throat, refusing to be voiced and he moans in frustration.

“Shh, it’s ok,” Aether murmurs, leaning down to kiss Ember slowly, tracing his bottom lip with his tongue till the fire ghoul sighs and lets him in. He hums as their tongues twine together, subtly changing the angle of his hips and thrusting forward with a bit more force, dragging the head of his cock against Ember’s prostate. The smaller ghoul pulls away and lets his head fall back, arcing his back as he moans loudly, pleasure sparking down his nerves.

“Oh, fuck,” Ember pants, bucking his hips to meet Aether’s thrusts. “Fuck, please, fuck me, come one, fuck meeee,” he hisses, bringing his hands up to grasp at Aether’s shoulders, digging claws into skin as his self-control fall apart with each teasing graze of the head of Aether’s cock against his prostate.

“Aether, _please_ ,” he whimpers, wriggling against the bedsheets, “touch me please, _fuck, I need… fuck…_ ”

The bigger ghoul grunts and peels the fingers of his right hand away from Ember’s hip, dragging the tips through the mess of precome on his stomach before grasping his throbbing cock and stroking it lightly from base to tip. The fire ghoul chirps and trills in pleasure between panted breaths, bucking his hips to grind down onto Aether’s cock as he thrusts into him. Aether finally relents and picks up the pace, though it’s still nothing close to the plowing Ember was truly wanting, hand stroking the smaller ghoul’s cock in pace with his thrusts. He supposes he shouldn’t be teasing Ember so much, but something about how he bucked and writhed beneath him, claws digging and shredding the mattress as he fights his instinctual tendencies to take charge and dominate, was such a pleasure to watch. Aether groans as Ember gives a sharp trill, tail slapping against the sheets erratically and his legs tightening around his waist as he tries to make the quintessence ghoul thrust into his prostate.

“So eager, fuck,” Aether pants, hips stuttering in their rhythm as Ember clenches around him. The tightness sends sparks of pleasure down his nerves and he feels himself drawing closer to the edge and he finally let’s go, fucking into Ember hard and fast, slamming the head of his cock into the fire ghoul’s prostate. Ember gives a keening cry, body jerking as he comes over Aether’s fingers at the sudden change in pace. Aether continues to thrust even as Ember clenches even tighter around him, moaning as he drops his head to give the fire ghoul a sloppy kiss. His own orgasm crests and he moans Ember’s name against his lips as he spends himself inside the smaller ghoul, panting harshly as his hips twitch with the aftershocks of pleasure.

“Oh Christ, fuck,” Aether pants against Ember’s lips, feeling drained and worn out now that the arousal has been sated. He pulls out slowly, the smaller ghoul giving a quiet whine at the empty feeling when Aether is no longer sheathed inside him. The quintessence ghoul huffs a laugh, humming as he presses their lips together in a slow kiss. Eventually he pulls away and leaves the bed, legs shaking but holding him up as he totters back to the bathroom to rinse the cum from his fingers, returning with a damp towel that he uses to clean up Ember’s stomach before tossing it to the side.

Ember rolls onto his side and scoots back on his bed, creating a space for Aether to join him, holding his arms out to the bigger ghoul in an invitation. Aether gratefully accepts, sighing contentedly as he snuggles up to the fire ghoul, basking in the heat that bleeds from his skin. Ember’s mind is fuzzy with fatigue and well-sated desire as he runs his fingers down Aether’s back, absently tracing the hidden scars that still stand out so vivid in his mind. He feels Aether tense under his hands but his mind doesn’t seem to make the connection.

“What were these from,” he mumbles sleepily as his fingers repeat the motion. “Did you have wings?”

There’s a sharp intake of breath that makes Ember blink and wonder if Aether was alright. He’s about to ask if his wound was aggravating him, but Aether presses lips to his forehead gentle-like. “Go to sleep,” he sighs, voice tired but with an odd tightness to it. Ember opens his mouth to protest, yet a yawn envelopes him and the next thing he knows he’s snuggling into Aether’s arms, sleep dragging him into sweet oblivion.


	11. Let it Burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How to anger one old air ghoul, an essay by Ember.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for how this took to get posted, I hope you all enjoy it!

_You feel a sudden pain_

_The night turns bright as day_

_This shit is going straight out of your mind_

_You start to feel afraid_

_It is the price you pay_

_To get the thrill you need to stay alive_

_Let it burn_

 

 **Avatar** \- Let it Burn

 

* * *

 

_Aether cringes away from the cup set on the table before him, biting at his lower lip in apprehension._

_“Fuck,” he mutters, remembering how bad the previous draughts had ended._

_“I know, I know,” Quinn grumbles, dragging out a chair and dropping into it. “Which is why I’m not letting you out of my sight for the next day. No repeats of last time.”_

_Aether stares down the chalice, as if he could dispel the impending side effects by will alone. Unfortunately nothing happens and he gives a sigh and picks it up, raising it in a salute to Quinn before tossing the contents down his throat. He shudders as the vile concoction settles heavy in his gut, the bitter taste lingering on his tongue._

_“Ugh, I’ll never get used to that,” Aether mutters, wanting to spit to try and get the flavor off his palate._

_“Good thing it’s the last one then,” Quinn snorts as he digs through a pocket and slides a small paper wrapped object across to the younger ghoul who looks at it with unease._

_“It’s a caramel, it’ll help the taste,” Quinn huffs, finding amusement in Aether’s apprehension._

_Aether isn’t sure how to read the older ghoul. He’s only met him a handful of times before and he always came across as angry and easily irritated, heavy brows in a permanent scowl and lips pulled into a sneer. He’s far to used to Omega and his gentle, easygoing manner and Quinn is… abrasive, to say the least. Either way he unwraps the candy and pops it into his mouth, not wanting to seem ungrateful for the small act of kindness._

_“Thank you,” Aether murmurs, pushing the empty cup away and dragging the thick tome he had been read through closer, running a clawed finger down the text till he finds the passage he’d stopped at. A few pages in the words begin to float and sway, vision going wonky and shifting between hyper focusing and blurring everything into an incomprehensible mess. Nausea roils in his gut and Aether pushes the book away and braces his arms on the table, breathing in through his nose to try and ignore the urge to vomit._

_“Right, let’s get you somewhere where you’ll be less inclined to throw up on an ancient, priceless tome and invite the wrath of Air upon you,” Quinn yawns, stretching his arms and legs out as he pushes himself out from the chair and rounds the table to help Aether to his feet._

_“I wouldn’t—” Aether begins, indignant that Quinn would think he would accidentally ruin such a rare piece of knowledge, but his stomach lurches and it’s everything he can do not to vomit all over the table. Quinn’s hand comes to rest on his back, solid and warm to the point where he can feel the heat through the thick fabric of his cassock, the touch helping drive away the nausea for the moment._

_“Right, yeah,” Aether mumbles, allowing the bulky ghoul to lead him back to their cloister of rooms and settling him into his bed. Quinn leaves only to return a moment later with a pitcher of water, a couple of cups, and a bucket which he places within easy reach of the bedside._

_“Stay, please,” Aether asks, reaching out and grasping weakly at the other ghoul’s sleeve. Quinn seems ready to pull his arm away but instead gives a quiet sigh, leaning forward to close the bedroom door before settling onto the edge of the bed. Aether shifts, creating a space large enough for the older ghoul to fit on to._

_“If you tell a single soul about this, I will end you,” Quinn grunts as he rolls onto his side and spoons up against Aether’s back. The younger ghoul lets out a held breath and relaxes as thick, muscly arms wrap around him gingerly, the feeling of Quinn’s aura around him soothing away the nausea and pinprick pains in his scarred back. He makes a sleepy noise in assent, a yawn stretching his jaws wide and he slumps back fully into Quinn’s chest, falling asleep within moments._

_\--_

_He wakes, sometime later, to a hunger gnawing at his gut. He tries to ignore it, wrapped so pleasantly into solid warm arms that he is loath to move, yet the hunger is persistent. It scratches at his brain, skittering along his synapses with little claws, chattering and hissing like an angry insect. Now that he’s realized it he’s fully awake, limbs suffused with an incessant energy that begs for an outlet. The nausea is gone, leaving his stomach feeling hollow, the potion seemingly absorbed into his body already._

_Quinn seems to be quite the heavy sleeper as Aether slips from the bed, the older ghoul grunting in his sleep and shifting but otherwise not waking. He leaves his mask behind as he wanders from his bedroom, the halls dark and quiet in the late hour. He wonders if he can find something to eat in the kitchens, though before he knows it his feet have carried him into the sanctuary, the skittering little bugs in his head whispering darkly in his ears. There’s a sister tending the altar and the hunger quickens, the gnawing turning to a harsh clawing, the bugs chattering and shrieking in delight. He walks slowly down the aisle, cataloging the way her habit hugs the slim outline of her figure, emphasizing the curve of her hips and backside. Aether can smell her from the back of the sanctuary, warm and sweet, feminine, and entirely too enticing. He makes a sound low in his throat as he nears the altar, the sister turning as she hears him._

_“Can I assist—oh!” she gasps, at first thinking that Aether was perhaps one of the younger clergy before she notes the pair of curved horns jutting from his forehead and glittering aubergine eyes. She startles even though he smiles at her, unused were the human clergy with seeing a ghoul without mask and cowl._

_“Apologies, sister. I didn’t mean to alarm you,” he purrs, voice richer, deeper than usual. He takes a deep breath, nostrils flaring as he inhales the scent of her, mouth watering and his fangs aching to pierce her flesh. He can see her heartbeat pulsing in her throat and he wants to put his mouth to it, feel the rush of blood under his lips, taste the rich salty metal of it. Drink her down and devour her whole, snap her bones for the sweet marrow in the center, feast upon her soft milk-white flesh, dye it scarlet with her blood._

_He gives her a wide grin, showing off gleaming fangs as he steps close and runs fingers lightly down the side of her face. Her eyes widen before fluttering shut, lips parting as he leans forward to capture them with his own. She tastes first of lipstick, but as he slides his tongue into her willing mouth he finds her just as sweet as she smelled. The sister makes a quiet sound of pleasure as he pulls away, claws tearing at her habit, opening the neck to bare the pale column of her throat. Aether hums as he skates his lips across her jaw, peppering tiny kisses to her soft skin and dragging his fangs lightly down her throat till he comes to her jugular. He places a gentle kiss over her pulse, tongue darting out to taste her, feeling the beat of her lifeblood so close, so fragile, so easy for him to just reach out and pluck it away…_

_Aether growls, bearing his fang and snapping them down into the pale flesh, groaning in pleasure as blood, so hot and wet, salty and metallic, bursts across his palate. The sister gasps in shock, then tries to push him away, giving a strangled cry as he grasps a fist into her wimple and pulls her head back, dragging her down to the floor as he falls to his knees. He shakes his head, worrying his teeth in deep and tearing at her flesh, drinking down her blood and swallowing the shredded bits of muscle that his fangs tear away. His claws scratch and rend, shredding her habit and the underclothes beneath it, tossing the fabric away to bare all of her to him._

_The only sounds the sister can make now are pained gasps and gurgles, her throat shredded by Aether’s fangs. He pulls back, crooning softly and licking at the blood covering his lips and chin, admiring how her blood stands out starkly against her alabaster skin._

_“You’re beautiful,” he murmurs, feeling a momentary pang of sadness that he was ruining that beauty, but her flesh is so sweet he can’t help but lean down and sink his fangs into the soft globe of one of her breasts. He digs his claws into the delicate flesh of her abdomen, shredding through layers of skin, fat and muscle as if they were paper, the inside of her hot and slick as he pulls out ropes of intestine, fingers scrabbling for the soft meat of her liver. Aether leaves the shredded mass of her breast to devour the organ, tittering quietly as he revels in the slick softness and meaty, bloody tang it leaves on his tongue._

_“Aether…? FUCK,” comes a shout from the end of the sanctuary. Aether curls over the sister’s body protectively, tilting his head to bear his horns and hiss at the oncoming ghoul. He didn’t wish to share his meal, wanting all of the delicious sister for himself, and was willing to fight off whoever tried to interrupt him. He growls low in his throat in warning, eyes glittering darkly in the wan candlelight at the bulky figure that was running towards him. Aether snarls, baring bloodstained fangs as the man doesn’t even slow, muscles bunching as he leaps forward, claws outstretched to dig into flesh and defend his kill._

_An arm sweeps out, knocking his claws to the side, feet deftly sidestepping his lunge, turning to plant a boot in the small of his back and shove him to crash into the pews unceremoniously. Aether howls in indignation, claws scratching furrows into the wooden pews as he scrambles back to his feet, ducking his head to level his horns as he careens forward again. The man doesn’t dodge him this time, instead snatching at his horns with one hand to pull his head back as he jabs his fist into Aether’s stomach. The blow is hard and makes him gasp and fall to his knees, the rage clearing for the barest moment as he catches sight of gold and purple eyes glittering with anger before a heavy palm is slapped across his face and power explodes in searing tendrils of aether. It bites deep and searing in his mind, eating away at the hunger that still chitters and shrieks, cleansing it away along with all conscious thought, dropping Aether into cold, quiet darkness._

_\--_

_His cheek is pressed to something cold and hard, and once he’s able to groggily open his eyes he finds that it’s the cold stone floor of his bedroom. His head aches, brain feeling frazzled and static-y, as if he’d been shocked badly. His mouth tastes weird, coppery, and he wonders if he fell out of bed in the night and bit through his lip or cheek._

_“What…” he mumbles blearily, scratching at his cheeks to find them feeling oddly tacky under his claws._

_“You ate a sister,” Quinn informs him, voice quiet and serious. Aether blinks, looking up at the older ghoul in confusion._

_“I… what?”_

_“You ate a sister. Tore her to pieces and had a small feast.” Quinn’s voice is oddly bland, as if he was commenting on the weather instead of recounting the fact that not only did Aether kill one of the church’s followers, but he’d consumed her flesh and blood in the process._

_His stomach lurches and roils as snippets of memory resurface, the hunger and how delicious she had been, the feel of his fangs and claws burrowing into hot flesh. He just barely has the presence of mind to snatch the bucket that was still set at the bedside, curling over it and gripping the edges in a white-knuckled grip as he vomits._

_He regrets the decision almost immediately, the curdled blood thick and cloying, mixing with partially digested slivers of human flesh making him retch further, emptying his stomach into the bucket. It feels like it never ends, mouth and throat raw and searing, tears dripping down his face as he chokes when blood and bile shoot up the back of his throat and into his nasal passages. He dry heaves till he feels like his insides had been twisted and rung out, everything hurting and aching horribly. He sobs, thinking this is barely a fitting penance for what he’s done to the poor sister he assaulted._

_“Are you done,” Quinn asks, sounding bored and annoyed at Aether’s anguish._

_“I… I killed… and… and ate her,” Aether gasps, voice breaking and he hides his face in his hands._

_“For fuck’s sake,” Quinn growls, stomping over to Aether and pushing his hands down and shaking his shoulders. “Get a grip on yourself, crying won’t help anything,” he snarls, though Aether shakes his head and tries to pull away._

_“No, I can’t… I didn’t mean… I… I…” Tears well up and spill over his cheeks, lips quivering and shoulders shaking as a fresh wave of sobs wrack his frame._

_The sharp crack of Quinn’s palm against his cheek sends him reeling, stunning him into silence as pain blossoms bright across his face. Aether’s eyes go wide as he stares in disbelief at his brother ghoul._

_“W-why,” he stammers, wetness gathering in his eyes again and he begins to shake. Another slap catches him across the other cheek and Aether keens, flinching back and huddling against the wall._

_“I’m going to keep hitting you as long as you keep crying,” the older ghoul seethes, settling back on his heels and sneering at the young quintessence ghoul. Aether finds it hard to breathe as he gapes at Quinn, having never been subjected to violence from one of his brother ghouls._

_“You don’t have to freak out like this. We’re ghouls, part of the deal we made includes a thirst for human blood and flesh. It’s not required to sustain us, like some of the other demons, but the hunger is still there. It’s a part of us, of **you** , that you can’t just sweep under a rug and pretend doesn’t exist.”_

_“But I… I didn’t want…” Aether mumbles, flinching when Quinn slashes a hand through the air._

_“Doesn’t matter what you **want** , all that matters is what you **are** now. If you don’t think you can take it, fine, I’ll make it quick.” Aether’s eyes go even wider as he watches Quinn pull a dagger from behind his back, the curved blade sharp and wicked. “Your choice: If you can’t handle everything about this new life, I’ll cut our losses now and stop wasting our time with you. But if you want a place to truly belong, to have a chance to fucking **do something** in this goddamn world, then you learn to accept what you are and fucking deal with it. And, just remember: **They’ll** never take any of us back, no matter what they say or offer. We’re tainted, they want nothing to do with us anymore.”_

_Quinn shifts, eyes boring into Aether as he holds his hands out to him, one with the dagger pointed at his chest, the other open-palmed and beckoning. “Make your choice.”_

_Aether stares, eyes darting between the two hands, wishing desperately for Omega’s comforting presence in the situation. Closing his eyes he takes a deep, shuddering breath before he reaches out, clutching at Quinn’s empty hand as if for dear life. The older ghoul grunts softly, sliding the dagger back into its sheath at the small of his back before tugging Aether forward by his hand, wrapping him tightly in his arms. Aether trembles slightly, part of his mind still waiting for the blade to bite into his flesh, tension threading through his limbs._

_“Hey, it’s alright now, everything’ll be fine,” the big ghoul murmurs, pressing a gentle kiss to Aether’s temple. The sudden shift in temperament gives Aether a sense of whiplash, almost terrified to let Quinn near lest he determine that he’d made the wrong decision. But the warmth and feeling of the quintessence ghoul around him is calm, soothing, and eases the panic and sickness away like a balm. A calloused hand runs gently through Aether’s short hair and the younger ghoul sighs, melting into the touch._

_“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up. You’ll feel better afterwards.” Aether hums in agreement, allowing the bigger ghoul to pull him to his feet and guide him to the baths._

_\--_

They wake up to the scent of frying bacon and pancakes, and the muffled rumble of voices from the dining room. Aether hums as Ember shifts and sighs, snuggling into the pillow and mumbling about getting another five minutes of sleep. He runs fingers through Ember’s hair, enjoying the silky softness of it and how the fire ghoul shudders and purrs at the caress.

“Come on, if we don’t get up soon there won’t be any breakfast left for us,” Aether murmurs, voice still thick with sleep.

“They wouldn’t, we’re still injured they have to feed us,” Ember pouts, not wanting to leave the warmth of the bed and Aether’s body pressed against his back.

“Try telling that to Rain, he’d eat everything without a second thought,” the quintessence ghoul grumbles, hands sliding down to tickle Ember’s ribs. He’s reminded as the smaller ghoul wriggles against him how thin he is, unable to stop the thought that he feels fragile under his larger hands.

“Ok, ok, fine, I’m getting up,” Ember huffs, biting his lip to keep from giggling and rolling off the bed. His tail swats at Aether’s leg playfully before he saunters over to his dresser to pull on a pair of boxers and jeans. “Now who’s being lazy,” he grins as he turns to regard Aether with a grin and a raised brow, leaning against his dresser with fingers hooked in his pockets. The quintessence ghoul snorts a laugh before lumbering to his feet, still moving a bit stiffly as he stretches his arms over his head.

“Ah, damn I don’t have any clothes over here, do I,” Aether sighs, remembering they had wandered over into Ember’s room directly after the shower. Now that he thinks on it, he’s never really been inside the fire ghoul’s room before now at all. The fact makes him a little awkward; _who fucks a person for over a month and has only just now been in their bedroom_?

He flicks at one of the rings pierces through Ember’s nipples as he shuffles by, making the shorter ghoul snort a laugh as he follows.

“I am perfectly capable of dressing myself, thank you,” the quintessence ghoul grumps, to which Ember hums in reply.

“Sure. But I’m here just in case.” _And I get to watch_ , Ember thinks, watching Aether’s shapely backside as he walks, admiring the view. Aether must have guessed that he didn’t have the purest of intentions as he sways his hips a little as he traverses through the shared bathroom into his own bedroom. Ember can’t help the grin that stretches across his lips at the show, though he manages to drag his eyes away to glance around the quintessence ghoul’s room. It’s kept meticulously neat, as he expected of the older ghoul, with a variety of paintings in various mediums hung on the walls.

“Did you paint these,” Ember asks, looking at one in particular of what he assumed were some kind of water plants in greens and blues. Aether looks up as he’s doing up pants and barks a short laugh.

“God, no. I’m not artistic in the least. I just collect them,” he chuckles, sliding past to pull a cassock from his closet. Ember hums, his eyes once again pulled to the muscled lines of Aether’s back, the tell-tale glint of the glamor prickling his curiosity. He bites his lip to still his tongue, contenting himself with watching the big ghoul shrug into the garment and do up the buttons, a little disappointed now that the show was over.

“Go get a shirt on so we can have breakfast,” Aether prods, grinning as he reaches out and tickles Ember’s ribs. The fire ghoul shudders and snickers, giving the quintessence ghoul a grin of his own.

“Maybe I don’t want to. Maybe I like being shirtless,” he titters, receiving a raised brow in return. An odd gleam comes to Aether’s eyes, piquing Ember’s interest, till he hooks a claw through one of the nipple rings and tugs on it sharply.

“Go put a shirt on,” Aether purrs when Ember yelps, a jolt of pleasure going straight to his groin at the sensation. “I’ll not have you setting a bad example for Rain. He’ll take it as free rein to stop wearing clothes at all again.”

“Fine, fine,” Ember sighs, wishing for Aether to tug on the rings more, to throw him to the carpet and fuck him till he couldn’t think straight. He quickly shoves the thought away and wanders back to his room for a t-shirt, finding an older one that’s faded and soft and pulling it over his head. He takes a moment to tie his hair back, catching Aether watching him from the corner of his eye.

“There, happy,” he asks, turning to show off the shirt with an exaggerated pose.

“Yes, now let’s go eat,” Aether laughs, herding Ember out to the common room with a warm hand on the small of his back.

\--

They switch between rooms at random, sometimes sleeping in Ember’s for a few nights then migrating over to Aether’s for one or two, back and forth. Ember notices that his clothes slowly begin to end up in both places, a weird feeling creeping into his gut when he finds that Aether has shuffled his own things around to make space for a small collection of his clothes in one of his drawers. It feels oddly intimate, though he’s afraid to mention the fact aloud, not wanting to worry the quintessence ghoul with the thoughts.

 _It’s just convivence, stop reading so much into things,_ he tells himself, though he wishes it did mean something more.

Aether stays attentive to him, not wanting to wait till the fixation starts to eat away at him to do something. Being near the quintessence ghoul helps, the myriad of small touches and caresses he dotes on Ember seemingly keeping the urges from getting too much. Coupled with some form of sex on a daily basis, anything ranging from a quick hand job in the shower or a long, sweet fucking after a day of practice, the insidious fire had yet to return to nibble at his mind.

They had a good three weeks then things go off the rails again, all thanks to Rain.

After the mating frenzy Aether is tired and worn thin, having overextended his curative abilities so quickly after his injury finally healed. Ember spends the two days following the end of the rut wincing with every step, wrists and hips dotted with fading bruises in the shape of Blaze’s fingers. The suddenness of the frenzy throws their little routine out the window, and before Ember noticed it’s been three days since they had shared a bed and getting close to a week since they’d fucked last. Ember hoped the time spent in rut, three or four days he thinks as he had lost track of time and didn’t bother to look at a calendar to count them, would keep the fixation sated till everything had settled back down again.

When he wakes from a short afternoon nap, he finds that his hopes were not enough. The fire burns in his gut, the need to have Aether chewing away at him till his nerves are raw and head gone light.

“Ember,” Rain calls, sticking his head into the room. The fire ghoul groans quietly and curls up on his bedspread, trying to handle the fixation as it throbs in time with his pulse. Rain trills softly then leaves, only to return a short moment later and kneel at the bedside.

“Hey,” Rain whispers, big blue eyes glittering brightly at him as he brushes a lock of hair from Ember’s cheek. “Aether’s down in the library, do you need help getting there?”

 _Library, Aether’s in the library,_ Ember thinks, shaking his head to dispel the fog enough to let him up so he can roll off the bed, purpose bringing clarity. “I can… I can get it, thanks,” he mumbles, swaying on his feet for a moment before he steadies himself.

“Here,” Rain chirps worriedly, digging something out of his pocket and places it in Ember’s hand. The fire ghoul peers down to find some single use packets of lube that bring a small smile to his face.

“Thanks,” he says, stuffing the packets in a pocket and heading for the door. Rain follows him out into the hallway before tugging on the sleeve of his cassock gently. As Ember turns to see what the water ghoul wanted, Rain darts forward to nuzzle at his cheek.

“Be safe,” he murmurs, pressing a quick kiss to Ember’s lips before darting inside, leaving the fire ghoul to stare at the door after him. Ever since bonding Blaze he’d been acting a little different, less skittish and more open with his fellow band ghouls. If his insides weren’t scratching at him to go hunt down Aether he was tempted to go and talk to the water ghoul. _Perhaps later_ , he thinks, hoping the fixation leaves enough of his mind intact to remember.

He can still think for the most part, telling him he wasn’t as far gone as the last two times this had happened. Though as he nears the library something inside him winds tight, leaving him feeling as if he’s stretched out, taut and ready to snap. Ember slips inside the heavy doors, scanning the rows of tables laid out on the main floor but not finding Aether among the few brothers and sisters hunched over and intent on the old tomes. His mind buzzes and he slips away, stalking down the aisles till he finds Aether at a shelf, tracing the letters of a tome with a delicate claw. An inaudible growl rumbles in Ember’s chest as he comes close, grasping Aether by the shoulder and roughly shoving him till his back hits the bookcase, a surprised gasp coming from the bigger ghoul. Ember snatches the mask and balaclava from his head before leaning in to bite and kiss at his lips hungrily.

“Oh, _fuck_ ,” Aether groans, voice kept quiet in the confines of the library. Ember nips and pulls at his bottom lip as he leans back, releasing him gently to grab his wrist and drag him bodily to the back corner of the library. There’s an unoccupied table there and it’s mostly private, hidden away from the other library goers so long as they keep the sound to a minimum.

“Ember, wait. We can go back—” Aether whispers, only to be cut off by a finger pressed to his lips as the fire ghoul hops up onto the tabletop.

“No. Here, now,” Ember murmurs, shuddering with need as his pulse picks up from the close proximity to Aether. He pulls the bigger ghoul close, fingers already working on the buttons of his cassock and he leans forward to nip at each new inch of exposed skin. He was quickly falling to the hungry craze of the fixation, desperate for Aether’s touch, for his skin and scent. Aether sighs but follows, his own fingers making short work of Ember’s uniform and baring his skinny frame to the chilly air as he prays their impromptu tryst goes unnoticed by anyone else.

“Just… try and keep quiet, then,” Aether mutters, knowing this was not a good place to do this but knowing he’d have a hard, if not impossible, time getting Ember to another, more appropriate room. He runs his lips along the fire ghoul’s throat, teeth grazing the skin just barely and making Ember moan and squirm.

“Fuck,” Aether groans, pulling away from the heat of Ember’s skin. “Don’t got any lube.” He’s not about to try and let Ember use spit for lubricant again, knowing how well that hadn’t fared the first time. Ember grunts underneath him before stuffing a hand in a pocket and slapping the packets to Aether’s chest, the quintessence ghoul fumbling and grabbing for them before they tumble to the floor.

“There,” Ember grunts, then proceeds to unbutton his pants and shove them and his boxers down his legs, rigid cock springing free. “Now, fuck me,” he hisses, yanking Aether down for another brutal kiss. The quintessence ghoul huffs against the insistent lips and tongue, nipping back at Ember’s lips sharply as the fire ghoul works at the clasps of his pants. He was curious as to where he’d gotten the packets but decided against asking, more grateful that he was making an effort to be somewhat safe.

“Jesus, calm down,” Aether hisses as Ember’s claws scrabble at the button and zip of his pants, not wanting the ghoul to break the closures in his frantic race to have Aether fuck him. “Let me prep you first, at least.” The fire ghoul gives a shudder and drops his hands to his side, sliding one across his hip to rub his palm slowly up and down his erection.

“I want you,” Ember trills softly, firelit eyes half-lidded and he bites at his lower lip sensually. “Need you, Aether. Need your cock, need you to fuck me, use me, please…” Aether shudders at the words, tearing open one of the lube packets and slicking two fingers. He spreads Ember’s buttocks with one hand, pressing his fingers inside his tight hole, twisting and scissoring them to stretch him open. He goes faster than he wants, knowing he should take his time prepping the smaller ghoul but he didn’t know how much longer he could keep his mind from hazing out on the fixation lust. But also, the longer they took the more chances they’d be found, and that would be a whole other can of worms to deal with…

“Shh, you got me, I’m right here,” he croons, pressing his fingers in deep as he can get them and spreading them apart, pressing a soft kiss to the side of one of Ember’s knees that are held in the air, feet braced on the edge of the table, when the smaller ghoul moans. When the fire ghoul growls quietly, wiggling impatiently as his tail snaps against the table, Aether finally extracts his fingers and strokes himself to coat his cock in the remaining slick. Grasping the smaller ghoul’s hips with both hands he drags Ember closer over the edge, giving himself enough room to settle between his legs and slowly bury his cock inside the smaller ghoul in a long, slow thrust.

A quiet trill escapes his throat, eyes fluttering shut as he enters Ember’s body. “Demons, you feel so good,” Aether murmurs, staying still more to tease the fire ghoul than let him adjust; in the throws of fixation Ember didn’t feel pain and discomfort the same way, only caring that Aether fills and fucks him, drives him over the precipice with the slam of his cockhead against his prostate. Tsking softly the quintessence ghoul grasps at Ember’s hand that he’s still smoothing over his cock, pinning it and the other over his head. The fire ghoul growls low in his throat, lips pulled back to bare his fangs, about to snap at him but Aether pulls back and rolls his hips forward, fucking into him slow and smooth. Ember’s eyes widen slightly before falling closed as he moans, wrapping his legs around Aether’s hips to rest the balls of his feet on the plush curve of his buttocks.

“More, please,” he gasps, tapping his heels on Aether’s ass to urge him onward, purring happily when the quintessence ghoul actually complies, bucking his hips forward and setting a harsh rhythm. Sweat breaks out on their skin despite the chill in the library, Ember’s tail snapping back and forth from the table and Aether’s leg in tandem with each jolting thrust. The fire ghoul writhes, chirping in pleasure as Aether leans down, his bulk pressing the smaller frame beneath him into the tabletop as he mouths at Ember’s neck, licking the salt from his skin before sucking a bruise onto the delicate skin.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Ember hisses, panting and bucking against Aether as much as he could with the weight of him pinning him to the table. He gives a chokes off keening cry, desperate to feel the bigger ghoul’s fangs, needing the sharp pain of them puncturing his skin, the warm drip of his blood sliding down his skin. But again his throat seizes around the words, refusing to let them out, to let them be heard. “ _Fuck, fuck, fuck, please, I… I need, please, fuck, fuck fuck…”_ The words fall from his lips in a whispered mantra, occasionally his voice giving out and tripping on the syllables when Aether’s cock hits his prostate, pleasure sparking and fizzling electric through his entire being. The quintessence ghoul finally peels his hand from pinning Ember’s wrists to the table to tangle in his hair, claws gently rubbing against his scalp as his other reaches between them to stroke his cock lazily.

“You close,” he pants, feeling his own release coming quick. Ember makes a strangled sound, heels and tail slapping against Aether’s ass being the only semi-articulate response he was capable of giving. He babbles a list of soft noises, possibly words but unintelligible if either in English or ghoulish, breath hitching as the next thrust slams against his prostate again and his eyes go wide as he cums. Aether jerks forward to smash their mouths together, smothering and drinking down the noises Ember makes with mouth and tongue, shuddering and following him over the edge as he clenches tight around him. As the aftershocks begin to fade Aether pulls out, nearly collapsing on top of Ember and laying his forehead against the sweaty skin of his shoulder, panting to catch his breath.

A chill unassociated with the temperature goes down Aether’s spine, and when he lifts his head he finds Air standing to the side, glaring at him and Ember. The quintessence ghoul flinches and scrambles to pull his clothes back on, almost tripping in his efforts to pull up his pants. Ember is still blitzed out on the post-orgasmic high, eyes glazed as his breathing slows back to normal, oblivious to the ancient ghoul scowling at him.

“What,” Air growls, deep and menacing, “in Lucifer’s name are you doing?”

“I’m sorry, we didn’t mean, it’s not,” Aether babbles, pulling his pants on and fastening them quickly. Ember trills and begins to purr quietly, his tail winding around Aether’s leg and tugging to pull him back.

“Aetherrrr,” the small ghoul moans, lazily reaching out to try and grab Aether’s arms, still having not noticed Air observing the pair.

“Air, I’m sorry, it’s not what it seems.” Aether scrubs a hand over his face, sighing heavily, not sure what to tell the old ghoul.

“Is he… ill?” The tall ghoul tilts his head, voice tinged with disgust.

“He’s… fixated,” Aether sighs, gathering Ember’s clothes from the floor and trying, fruitlessly, to get the fire ghoul to wiggle back into them. Instead the smaller ghoul decides to cling to Aether’s shirt, pulling him down and nuzzling at his neck. Aether grumbles, nervous and embarrassed at the display he’s making in front of the old ghoul, though he knows Ember would be mortified if he knew what he was doing. He nearly flinches away when Air comes close, bending down and grasping at Ember’s chin to tilt his face in his direction.

“Fixated, you say,” the ancient ghoul murmurs, studying the glassy look of Ember’s eyes and the flush of his cheeks. Air hums to himself, seemingly finding the afflicted ghoul to be suddenly quite interesting. “I wish to study him, we so rarely have a case like this to examine.”

“If he agrees, when he’s coherent, that is,” the old librarian asks, straightening his posture and tilting his head ever so slightly at Aether. “In penance for… desecrating one of my tables.”

“I’ll, ah, I’ll be more than happy to let him know.” Aether nearly gawks at Air, not quite believing that he and Ember weren’t being strung up by the rafters and flogged for their… indiscretion.

“Good, now, clean this mess up and leave my library,” the old ghoul snaps, gaze turning to steel as he regards the mess, lip curling at the stench of sex and sweat that fills the air in the alcove; he was going to have to open the windows to air the room out properly.

“And,” he adds, before turning on his heel and leaving, “Do not let this happen again.”

With that, Air disappears amongst the shelves and books, leaving behind a confused, yet relieved, Aether.


	12. Haunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just when he thinks they return to normalcy, shit hits the fan, _again_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy a different perspective of the first half of [Riptide](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16399850)! Also, a chapter without porn? What? I'm not sure how that happened.  
> Many thanks to @copias_gloves for beta reading for me! 💙

“Oh Lucifer, kill me now,” the thin ghoul groans, pressing his hands over his face to hide the burning red of his cheeks. “Just, end me, please.”

“It’s not that bad,” Aether chides him gently, trying to comfort Ember as he curls up and tries to hide in the blankets on his bed. “It couldn’t be helped, really.”

“Next time just… Throw me over your shoulder and run off to somewhere else. Like, a broom closet or something.”  _ Anywhere that was at least semi-private, away from the calculating eyes of the other ghouls. _ The mortification of Air finding them post-coitus on the library table was just too much for Ember to process.

“There won’t be a next time, Ember.” The fire ghoul’s head whips up, eyes wide and breath catching hard in his throat.  _ No, no don’t say that, don’t leave me, I need you, I love you, please don’t-- _

“We’ll be careful, we’ll keep the fixation sated properly till it either breaks on its own or we can work out how to fix it.” Aether’s voice is soft, tender as the hand that cards through his hair, telling him he’d caught onto the quick moment of terror that had descended upon the fire ghoul. “Anyways,” the big ghoul continues once Ember’s panic is assuaged, “Air wants to just, ah, study… you…”

Ember looks at Aether quizzically, “Study me? The hell does that entail?”

“He didn’t tell me,” the quintessence ghoul sighs, shifting to pull the fire ghoul into his lap, back cushioned by the stack of his pillows pushed up against the headboard of his bed. Aether had, nearly literally, dragged Ember back to the apartment once he’d managed to get the ghoul dressed, wanting to get out of the library as quickly as possible, ensconcing them in his bedroom to cuddle while he came down from the high the fixation left in its wake.

“Fuck.” Ember sighs and wiggles close, pressing himself to Aether’s body, trilling softly when the big ghoul strokes a thumb along the ridge of one of his horns. They stay like that for a few long moments, basking in the peaceful quiet, purely enjoying each other’s presence. Eventually, though, the itch of dried sweat on his skin coupled with the weird, slick sensation of Aether’s cum dripping from his ass and into his boxers it too much to bear, the desire for a shower now stronger than the want to stay curled together.

“I’ll go see him tomorrow afternoon, I guess,” Ember mumbles, pulling away and sliding to the floor. If he walks a little stiffly to their bathroom Aether doesn’t make mention of it, though the big ghoul does follow in his wake. Ember can feel the eyes on him, heavy gaze an almost tangible thing as he takes in the slight ghoul shucking himself of his rumpled clothing. As he turns the shower on he’s almost tempted to ask for another round, something slow and leisurely in the wake of the frantic sex on the library table, but with the way the muscles in his back and legs twinge even he decides it would be for the best to wait before attempting anything else for the while.

There’s a slight feeling of disappointment in his gut when he finds that Aether decides not to join him, having returned to his bedroom as Ember steps into the shower. He sighs quietly, letting the heavy spray of hot water beat down on his head and shoulders, grimacing at himself before scrubbing harshly at his skin with the soap.

* * *

 

Waking up in his bed all alone should be a normal thing, he’s spent more time alone than with a partner in his lifetime. Yet there’s a distinct feeling of heaviness that settles over him at the realization that Aether was not spooned up against his back, the cocoon of blankets wrapped around him telling that he’d never even come in during the night.

_ Stupid, he’s just helping, why do you have to overcomplicate things. If he wanted you he’d have said so, get the fuck over it, enjoy what you have now. _

Ember wants to punch the voice in its stupid face, angry at its cold logic. Snarling quietly into his pillow he pushes himself up shoving the covers away to trudge to his dresser, pulling on a clean uniform before slumping down the hall to the kitchen. The place was quiet, some muted sounds of a movie coming from Earth’s room the only noise in the apartment, the clock over the stove showing off that it was 10:30 AM in bright, obnoxious green letters. Making a face at the later hour he goes through the refrigerator only to find nothing that looked suitable for eating, shifting to the cabinets but also coming up empty-handed. He supposes he could go down to the clergy kitchen in the main building, but decides he’d rather just go back to his room and maybe nap till dinner. As he passes Earth’s room he pauses, knocking on the door then poking his head inside, finding the tall ghoul watching some old sci-fi movie.

“Busy,” Ember asks, not wanting to bother the drummer if he wanted to be alone. “Want to play something? I’m bored.”

“Yeah, sure!” The tall ghoul jumps from his bed, excited at the prospect of playing video games. “God, I feel like I’ve been cooped up inside for years, since the, uh… the, the…. The, thing…” He gestures with his hands, though Ember can easily catch onto what he meant.  _ The frenzy. He could still remember the taste of him, the soft sounds he made as Ember fucked him roughly against the couch… _

“Ah, yeah. I hope practice starts again soon,” Ember says, quickly shoving the memories away as they pad down to the common room and flop onto the couch, snatching up the TV remote as Earth fishes out the controllers. The system powers on and the drummer tosses him a controller, the two of them flipping through games before settling on something short and simple to occupy them: some variety of shooter game. It was fast paced and easy to sink in to, insidious thoughts melting away as he focused on hunting down and shooting targets, the two of them occasionally bickering about a lucky shot here and there.

Ember and Earth are watching a match replay, arguing over the conclusion of the game (“I was behind a wall, it shouldn't have hit me!” “Tough luck, I'm just better, accept it already!” “Fuck you, I want a rematch!”) when the apartment door is slammed open, Blaze thundering inside. They both flinch at the sound and are halfway up from the couch when the old fire ghoul kicks Rain’s door in, the pair of them flinching away from the violence, not wanting to draw Blaze’s ire onto themselves. A worried and confused look passes between them as they look cautiously down the hallway, ears twitching as they hear Blaze call out Rain's name.

It’s the most terrifying sound Ember has ever heard in his life, one that would echo through his dreams and nightmares for years to come. The quiet choked back words followed by a heartbroken keen, then the ear splitting roar of pain and loss that makes him flinch even at the thought of it. The apartment door bangs open again, startling the guitarist and drummer as Aether comes running inside, an unfamiliar bulky ghoul hot on his heels. They flinch again as they hear Blaze snarl, the deep bass of his growl raising the hair of the back of their necks as they cautiously edge toward the door of Rain's room. When he roars it feels as if the apartment shakes, Earth dropping to crouch down on the floor while Ember ducks his head and bares his fangs, hissing as his instincts scream at him to be ready to fight. Mistral and Zephyr finally come out from their own room, the group of them shuffling in to the doorway and looking in.

The scene feels unreal, everything having a high-contrast, dreamlike quality. They look in just in time to see Aether pulling Rain from Blaze's grasp as the unknown ghoul is dragging the unconscious fire ghoul to the side. Ember’s eyes fasten onto the streaks of blood from Rain's nose, the color seeming too red, too bright against his pale skin.

“Mistral, Zeph, can either of you make a spark? His heart’s not beating,” Aether asks when he notices the crowd in the door, voice rushed and panicky as he begins chest compressions. Zephyr pushes past the ghouls crowding the doorway and rushes to Aether’s side, helping pull open Rain’s cassock so she could lay her palms flat on his chest. Static tingles along Ember’s arms as the air ghoulette gathers electricity, sending the jolt through her palms and into Rain at Aether’s command. The water ghoul’s body jerks then lies still, Aether frantically resuming the chest compressions as she gathers more lightning in her hands.

It end up taking three jolts in total before Rain takes a huge gasping breath, back arching as his eyes fly open wide. Zephyr moves aside quickly as Aether and the other big ghoul lay their hands on Rain’s body, Aether’s on his chest and the other ghoul’s on his head. A different kind of static prickles down Ember’s spine as he watches with rapt attention, eyes catching the faint purple glow as they channel the aether.

The big ghoul grunts, pulling his hand away and shaking his head gently. “Get him to the infirmary, he’s not stabilizing.”

Aether’s head snaps up, eyes narrowing behind his mask . “What about Blaze? He’s going to have another fit when he wakes.”

“I’ll get him dealt with, just worry about the water ghoul for now,” the other quintessence ghoul says, grunting as he goes and slings Blaze over his shoulders, hefting his unconscious weight with a bit of difficulty. Aether just nods, scooping Rain up into his arms and taking off, carrying him as if he weighed nothing.

Once the two quintessence ghouls are gone the others are left watching the door, still stunned speechless by the entire scene. Eventually Zephyr sighs heavily and moves to hug the taller ghoulette close. Mistral croons to her softly, petting at her blond curls as she leads them back to their room to comfort in private.

“Fuck…” Earth lets out a shuddering sigh, dragging his fingers through his messy hair. “I… I need some fresh air,” he mutters, slinking away as quick as his long legs would carry him without running flat-out. Ember is left on his own, staring blankly at the now empty room. Taking a cautious step forward he looks at the strange round object Rain had been next to on the floor, eyes snapping to the streaks of drying blood on the carpet and dotting the carved edge of the bowl-like thing.

It’s like a large, shallow bowl, carved from a mottled gray stone. There was water filling it nearly to the brim, gone rusty-colored from blood that had dripped and mixed in. It’s a strange object, nothing like anything Ember has seen before with its painstakingly detailed carvings, managing to seem unfathomably old yet devoid of any wear and tear. He wonders absently what it was, what Rain had been doing with it, and if it was the cause of the earlier incident. Reaching out he touches the edge gently, almost afraid it would burn or shock him, however he finds that the cold stone is inert. Gingerly he picks it up, finding it not quite as heavy as he’d expect, balancing it carefully as he walks to the bathroom and tips it slowly to drain the bloodied water into the sink. Almost as an afterthought he rinses the bowl out with clean water a few times, even drying it out with a towel snatched from the hamper before placing it on Rain’s desk.

The bloodstains on the carpet scream at him, a wailing shriek of soul-deep grief that tears at his psyche as if it were sharpened claws. Ember flees the room, shutting the door behind him and taking refuge in his own bedroom, leaning back against his closed door. The sound echoed through his head, reverberating down his synapses in an unending loop. Quickly scrounging through one of his drawers he finds a pair of headphones and slips them on as he pulls down his white fantomen, plugging everything into the little practice amp. Taking his time he strums the strings, turning them and adjusting knobs on the guitar and amp, warming his fingers up playing scales and chords.

He plays for hours, trying to drown out Blaze’s sounds of anguish with music, playing through every song he can possibly remember. He only stops once he notices a sharp pain from one of his fingers, looking down to find he’d cut one somehow and there was a spray of red against the white of the guitar body. Grimacing, Ember cleans the blood away before it could stain the finish, setting the instrument back on its stand so he can go bandage the cut.

The sounds are still there, in the back of his mind. His phone tells him it’s almost midnight, and walking out into the apartment he finds the place still and quiet. Peeking into Aether’s room he sees that the quintessence ghoul has not yet returned, and the same for Earth. He supposes he should try and eat something, but his stomach is too tense and nervous to even think of eating. He ends up throwing his balaclava and mask on and wandering the halls, eventually ending up outside. It’s warm but the breeze is cool, and he begins walking circuits around the church grounds. On the second lap he picks up the pace, gradually walking faster till he’s jogging, then running outright, stretching his legs in an effort to outrun the sounds echoing in his head.

By the fifth circuit Ember collapses against one of the stone walls, uniform soaked through with sweat and panting heavily for air. His legs tremble as he rights himself and heads back inside, finally able to regain regular breathing by the time he returns to the apartment. It’s still quiet, and Aether is still gone, leaving him to shrug out of his clothes and take a hot shower, scrubbing half-heartedly at his sweaty skin and hair and nearly falling asleep under the stream of hot water. Giving himself a cursory wipe down with a towel he flops onto his bed, dropping to sleep almost immediately.

Sleep is dreamless to begin with, but soon the images begin, fleeting scenes of Ember trying to find the other ghouls in a crowd, drowning in a sea of bodies that seem to push him back further and further from where he needs to go. He catches sight of Aether over the heads of the crowd, the big ghoul calling out for him but his voice drowned out by the cacophony.

Someone knocks into his shoulder, sending him tumbling to the ground, palms slapping hard onto the concrete. They sting and burn, the scars ripped open and dripping blood when he turns them over to examine them, white bones glinting out from the shredded flesh. Ember gasps, clutching his ruined fingers to his chest to protect them, when the screams begin to echo through the air. Panic seizes his chest and he struggles to his feet, forcing his way through the crowd that is now still, knowing he has to get through, has to find Aether… 

Suddenly the crowd fades and he stumbles forward, almost falling to his knees as he finds a body curled on its side, the ground around them littered with black feathers. The first thought is of Rain, blood dripping from his nose as he dies slowly on the carpet, but the figure is too large to be the bassist, noting that as he gets closer he can make out the familiar close-shaved head and ring-studded ears, silver chain dangling from his left wrist. Aether's features slowly fill in as Ember drops to the quintessence ghoul's side, attempting to call out his name but unable to utter a sound with his throat feeling dry and sandpaper-y. Reaching out, heedless of his ruined hands, he finds the back of Aether's cassock to be torn apart, the great scars open and bloody on pale skin.

“No…” The big ghoul isn’t moving, his flesh stiff and cold under the fire ghoul’s hands. A broken sounds falls from his lips, heart beating fast in panic. “No, you can’t… please don’t…” The first sob breaks lose, shaking his thin shoulders, teardrops falling to splatter against pale skin, making streaks in the splotches of blood his palms leave in their wake. Ember curls up to the still body, clutching it close as his heart breaks, feeling as if something tight had wrapped around his chest, constricting it till each breath is labored, a chore to gasp between sobs. Then he’s falling, a momentary sense of weightlessness and then…

Jolts awake, hitting the floor with a harsh, muffled thud.

Flailing about he finds himself tangled in his blanket, nearly tearing it in an effort to be free of its constricting grasp. Ember presses the heels of his hands to his eyes, trying to slow his breathing and push away the panic still thrumming through his veins.

“Just a dream, only a dream,” he gasps, reminding himself that it was completely fabricated by his stressed out mind. It’s hard, though, laying on the floor by himself, shivering as the sheen of sweat dries in the chilly air. Rolling over to push himself to his knees so he can stand, feeling wobbly and nearly falling over as he takes a few steps, catching himself on his dresser and holding tight to it for the few moments till his brain reminds his limbs of their proper working order. Dragging a hand through his tangled hair he pads through the shared bathroom and into Aether’s room, finding the big ghoul asleep in his bed. Relief spikes through him and Ember totters over to the other side, sliding on top of the blanket and sheets to spoon up against the quintessence ghoul’s back, thin arms winding around the older ghoul’s thicker waist, clutching at him desperately.

“Wha… huh?” Aether shifts, waking when he feels the warm press of another body against his back. Blinking blearily he turns slowly, exhausted mind taking a moment to make sense of what his eyes told him. “Ember? What’re you…”

“Just… just hold me, please,” the fire ghoul asks, voice soft and pleading. Aether doesn’t try to question it at the moment, too tired and wrung out from spending hours at Rain’s bedside, instead rolling onto his other side and lifting the blanket up. Ember takes the invitation gratefully, sliding under the covers and pressing as much of his skin to Aether’s as he could, snuggling close and pressing his forehead to the big ghoul’s chest.

“S’alright,” Aether mumbles softly, petting at the tangled mass of Ember’s hair, “I’m here, everything’s fine.” The fire ghoul lets out a held breath, tension draining out of his body as he concentrates on the steady rhythm of Aether’s heartbeat, letting the sound lull him back to sleep.

* * *

 

He dreams again, this time of walking alongside a river, its banks wide and covered with rounded pebbles and rocks. The water looks still and calm, inviting, and he ventures out onto a flat boulder jutting out over the river.

“Careful, it looks slow but the currents underneath will drag you under if you go in.” Ember looks up to find a larger figure behind him, cast in shadow by a pair of enormous black wings. Cocking his head to the side he opens his mouth to ask who they were, how did they know about the river, when the wings shift and sunlight glitters off aubergine eyes and silver rings.

“Aether? Why…” Ember pauses, pulling his eyes away from the wings to the look back at the river. Upon further inspection he can see how the rocks and silt at the bottom swirl and tumble in the fast running current. And something else is there, further in the depths, hiding among the swirling mass of water plants at the bottom, though Ember is unable to discern little more than the glint of silvery scales and glassy eyes. Whatever it is makes his stomach clench in unease and he slowly backs away from the water.

“They’re always waiting for anyone that ventures too close, thinking the still water means it’s safe,” Aether warns, holding a hand out to the lithe ghoul. Ember can’t help but hesitate before reaching out and clasping their hands together, gaze yet again glued to the wings now furled close against Aether’s back.

“Why do you have wings,” he asks, unbidden, his curiosity too much to bear any longer. The big ghoul just smiles at him warmly, leading him gently back away from the shore and under shade of the nearby trees.

“Not everything is as it seems,” Aether murmurs, running a thumb along the rigid scar across Ember’s palm, looking up at the dappled sunlight through the shifting leaves and branches. There’s so many questions bubbling up but Ember can’t help but look up at the branches overhead as well, watching the breeze that he can’t feel make the sunlight that shines through shift and sparkle. Thoughts begin to drift and fade, everything so warm and peaceful, lulling him softly into a distant kind of bliss.

Ember wakes softly this time, eyes blinking open slowly, basking in the warmth and comfort of Aether’s arms. Fingers play against the scar on his right hand gently, reminiscent of the Aether from the dream. At some point in the night they had turned around, the quintessence ghoul now spooned against his back, strong arms cradling him close.

“Aether,” the fire ghoul asks, turning around to face the bigger ghoul, “Why did you have wings?”

“I… what?” Aether goes still before pulling away slightly, an expression of confusion mixed with worry clouding his face. “I don’t have… what are you talking about?”

“In my dreams, you had wings. Huge, with black feathers.”

“That was just a dream,” the quintessence ghoul asserts softly, trying his hardest to keep the hint of worry from his voice. Ember shakes his head and reaches around to press his palms to Aether's back.

“I know but… What are these then?” And then Ember traces his fingers along where he knows where the scars are. Aether actually finches away from the questing fingers, pulling further away from the small ghoul with a panicked look.

“Where did… How…” he stammers, fighting hard to quash the panic that was beginning to take over.

“I've known about the glamor since… That night in the hotel.” Aether knows exactly which night Ember spoke of, remembers well the punches to the face, then the hand job, followed by what has to be the best sex he'd had in decades. “But it wasn't till you were in the infirmary till I… Till I saw the scars.” Ember ducks his head slightly, feeling a sudden burst of shame for having witnessed Aether in that moment of frailty. He means to tell him to forget the whole incident, to drop it entirely and just cling to him silently and bask in his mere presence, yet what instead comes out is “Ghouls don't have wings so… Why did you?”

“I can't… I can't, not right now, Ember,” he sighs, sliding off the bed and scrubbing a hand through his short hair. He fights the urge to pace, taking deep breaths to try and calm himself. Thankfully his phone buzzes on the nightstand, a perfect distraction from the issue at hand.  _ You can't avoid it forever, eventually you'll have to face it head on and deal with it _ , a voice snaps at him from the dark recesses of his brain that he immediately shoves away as he picks up his phone.

_ Yes, but not today,  _ he tells it, turning on the screen and flipping through his notifications. A message from Omega informs him Cael returned to the church in the early hours of the morning, making a smile play over Aether's lips. He hadn't seen his fellow quintessence ghoul in a long time by now, it would be good to get to see and catch up with him. A small noise comes from the bed and he suddenly remembers Ember waiting expectantly for an answer. The fire ghoul had shifted to sit near the edge of the bed closest to him, long legs crossed and hands resting in his lap.

“Hey,” Aether begins softly, stepping to the bedside and gently taking Ember’s face in his hands. “I’m sorry, I can't give you an answer right now. But, please just wait a bit longer? I have to take care of some things first, but I promise we'll talk about it again soon, alright?” His thumbs skate down the prominent ridge of the smaller ghoul's cheekbones as gray eyes blink up at him, whatever emotions going through his head hidden behind a mask of calm.

“Okay, alright,” Ember concedes, pulling away with a soft sigh and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He stands, tugging claws through the tangled mass of his hair before moving to skirt around the quintessence ghoul and head for their shared bathroom, doing his best to keep the disappointment that settled heavy his gut from showing.

“Ember, wait.” Aether reaches out and grasps at one of his wrists, tugging gently to get the smaller ghoul to look at him. “Are you… do you need…?” It didn’t really need to be spoken aloud, the fire ghoul understood exactly what he was referring to. He takes a moment to look inwards, examining the feel of his mind and body before shaking his head slightly.

“No, it’s… it’s fine, for now. But… tonight, maybe…?”

“Right, yeah,” Aether nods, quickly, giving his wrist a gentle squeeze along with a soft smile. It’s a sweet look, complimenting the big ghoul well Ember thinks. “Tonight, then. Why don’t you go see Air today, and I’ll make dinner. Just the two of us, yeah?”

“Sure, sounds good,” Ember agrees, though he winces inwardly at the mention of seeing Air, reminded of the promise Aether had made for him. “I’d better go get dressed then… and sort this mess out,” he sighs, motioning at his tangled hair, loathe to leave Aether’s presence but understanding the necessity of it.

_ Dear Satan, please let this meeting not end up being awkward… or having him flay me alive. Some small details aside, I’m quite enjoying living, thank you. _


End file.
